LEADERBOARD
-9 Rai
-6 Rahm, Smalley
-5 Thomas, Schmid, Aberg
-4 Smith, Schauffele, McIlroy
Irish:
-1 Harrington
+2 Lowry
Watch Aaron Rai’s amazing putt on 16:
Well done Aaron Rai, he took charge and it’s another Major for Europe. An unlikely winner in some ways, but the methodical test suited a player of his capabilities. The way he won certainly wasn’t methodical, it was electric. Rai had proven he could win before in big tournaments, winning in Abu Dhabi and Scottish Open previously among his wins.
Smalley holes a long putt at the 18th to tie second with Rahm, that will be worth a lot of money.
That’s all from me, stay tuned for Philip Reid’s report. Good night!
Smalley (-6) does not birdie 17, so we can safely say Aaron Rai is the champion!
Rai (-9) cosies the ball up to the hole. He is set to win the PGA Championship.
I may have jumped the gun a little because Smalley has eagled the 16th. He would need to eagle one of 17 or 18 and birdie the other to tie, which would be the most ridiculous finish in the history of golf, but it could happen, so we’ll hold off on the crowning for another few minutes.
Rai (-9) goes straight at it, fitting shot for a fitting champion. He has a chance to extend his lead with a birdie. Flat out until the end. He’s taken the tournament over and won it, nobody could complain, they were beaten by the better golfer today.
Aberg (-5) birdies the final hole to knock McIlroy down a place. Rahm (-6) watches his putt finish short on 17.
Rai (-9) is down the middle at the last, as Rahm birdies 16 to go second on -6. So that birdie by Rai could end up being consequential if Rahm has a clutch finish.
Rahm’s tee shot on 17 is good but it’s 30 feet away for birdie.
Rory McIlroy shoots one-under-par round of 69 in final round
McIlroy gave it a great effort but it looks like it’s going to be a top 5 finish at Aronomink. He could point to not hitting enough fairways on Sunday or that the bomb and gouge didn’t quite work. But ultimately it was Thursday that cost him, a four over 74 left him too far to get it back.
McIlroy (-4) is in the heavy rough on the 18th, muscles it up to short of the green. Need to chip in to tie Thomas in the clubhouse.
Schmid will bogey the 15th after failing to get close with his third from the fairway after laying up at the par 4. The stage is set for Rai to finish it out... and he does in spectacular fashion.
Birdie for Rai! A ho-hum day has been taken by storm by the Englishman. JJ Spaun vibes as he holes from 70 feet for birdie. Incredible stuff! He moves four clear.
Birdie for Rai! It’s in his hands now as he reaches -8. Two pars and it’s hard to see how he could be beaten, especially as Schmid hit it in the bunker off the tee on the 15th and has to lay up.
Magnificent shot by Rai! He hits the par 5 in two with a towering long iron from 215 yards, and has just 16 feet left for eagle.
McIlroy (-4) at 17, birdie or nothing, loves it from the tee but it’s not as close as he might have liked, about 30 feet for birdie.
Par for McIlroy... good effort but the putt doesn’t make it.
Great drive by Rai (-7) on the par 5 16th, that’s ideal. Schmid (-6) has a great effort on the 14th, just stopping short with the right line. He’s not out of this at all.
Brilliant shot by Rahm (-5) at the long par 4 15th. He hit a 354-yard drive on the fairway and then followed it up with a 179 yard iron to 15 feet for birdie. As good as we’ve seen on that hole from the leading players, if he could steal a birdie there he’s well in it too.
Rai (-7) pars the 15th. Don’t expect him to make a whole pile of mistakes with the putter on the way in. Fun fact that when he was 15, he once holed 207 putts in a row from 10 feet, breaking a world record.
Par for McIlroy on 16, cleaning up. Birdies needed on 17 and 18 to have any chance.
Birdie for Schmid meanwhile on the 13th puts him within one of Rai on -6. He’s not giving up. He hits a good approach on 14 too to the back of the green, outside chance of birdie.
McIlroy’s (-4) race is almost run it seems, as his approach hits the lip of the bunker and falls in after he tried a difficult flop. McIlroy is not impressed by someone who shouted in his follow through, he gives it back to the spectator “shut the f**k up” and points for him to be ejected from the premises. A great shot from the bunker to a few feet, but he needed a birdie there.
Good shot by Rai (-7) at the difficult 15th, 234 yards with a long iron to 25 feet from the hole on the front.
Meanwhile, McIlroy (-4) has not hit the shot required from the rough on 16. Short-sided himself short of the bunker, and it’s going to be tough to get up and down. Hard to see the birdie there. It’s slipping away, barring some magic. Which he is capable of to be fair.
Costly miss for birdie by Rahm (-5) at the short par 4 13th, he had driven the green over the back but from the rough, he couldn’t get his chip close enough. An 18-footer never threatened the hole. They’re all running out of holes, unless Rai drops a few. Which he may well do. He’s never been in this position before.
To have any chance, McIlroy (-5) at least needs one more birdie. On 16, he hits into the rough yet again on a par 5. Only level par for the week on the par 5s, that is a major reason. Although he parred 9 from the centre of the fairway earlier.
McIlroy (-4) hits the middle of the green at the 15th, very good shot from the rough with a long iron, but it’s 55 feet for birdie. He’d take a par and move onto the par 5 16th.
Rai (-7) lags the ball up to the hole at 14, that’s all he has to do.
So close! McIlroy’s putt has a brilliant line, tracking the whole way to the hole, but just stops a few inches short.
McIlroy is in the rough on the long par 4 15th, has struggled to hold the fairway on a lot of these holes. Needs a big shot from there to set up a birdie chance. The way Rai is playing, you’d think he needs at least two more birdies.
Birdie for Rai! McIlroy’s birdie is cancelled out after Rai hits a superb bunker shot to 7 feet and sinks it to go two ahead on -7. Big moment. He’s middle of the green on the next hole too, par 3 14th, similar to the putt McIlroy just had.
Birdie for McIlroy! There we go, fantastic putt up the slope at 14. One against the grain to get right back in it.
Smith (-4) misses, that’s him out but a good performance by the Australian after years in the doldrums.
Great approach by Smith (-4) at 18 from the bunker. He has 15 feet left to stay alive.
McIlroy (-3) hits a fine iron shot at the 14th, on the right level, 24 feet left.
Bogey for McIlroy! He falls to three behind with bogey at the 13th. The drive was costly, in no man’s land and he couldn’t rescue it. Now the aim will be to match Thomas in the clubhouse at -5. The 16th is birdie-able, but the other birdie will be hard fought on a tough day.
Mistake by McIlroy (-4), his club gets stuck in the rough and the ball fails to get up the slope, he has a long par putt left to stay within two of Rai, who makes a good par at the 12th. -6 may win it in the end.
McIlroy (-4) tells one of the spectators to move “you, yes you!” to one stray man in the gallery. After clearing the way, McIlroy fails to make the green and catches the rough. A tough enough up and down left on 13. Can’t afford to drop any shots.
Bogey for Smith. He three-putts the 17th and he has to birdie 18 to tie JT in the clubhouse. Thomas will not be going home any time soon anyway.
McIlroy (-4) hits a poor drive on the 13th, his worst of the day. Lets go of the club as he pushes it way right into the trees. It’s a short par 4, so no major trouble but it may limit his chances of making birdie.
Bogey by Schmid! He fails to get up and down at the 10th. Englishman Rai leads the PGA Championship.
Birdie for Rai! He ties the lead at -6 and Schmid is in some bother on the 10th after hitting it in the left rough and leaving himself a good distance pitch into a very tricky green.
Another lag by McIlroy (-4) to make par, that’s 10 in a row now after the one on 12. The only positive you’d say is that it has been very stress-free so far, hardly any of his par putts have been more than a couple of feet.
It’s a strange sort of day. There are so many players within touch of the lead but nobody can make a sustained run of birdies. But also there aren’t that many bogeys either, and very few doubles in play.
McIlroy (-4) is a prime example. One birdie and 10 bogeys so far and he’s still well in it. He muscles a wedge out of the rough to the middle of the green and another long putt left.
Smith (-5) fails to birdie the par 5 16th.
McIlroy (-4) on the 12th just finds the rough, unfortunately he hasn’t been far off with some of these drives but it’s enough to make it tricky to make birdies.
Excellent shot by Rai (-5) on the 11th, who looks like the man with momentum, only four feet left for birdie to tie the lead.
Oh dear, Aberg misses from three feet on 10 for par to fall to -3. Schmid pars the par 5 9th, won’t extend his lead.
Bit of a misread for McIlroy at the 11th, from 40 feet he’s left himself 5 feet left. But he’s got it for par. Still two behind, as he has been for about two hours. Remarkably at no point today has anyone got to 7 under, will it happen on the back 9? McIlroy needs at least one more birdie on the last seven holes to tie Thomas in the clubhouse.
Par for McIlroy on the 10th hole, then bombs it up the 11th hole into the semi-rough. From 103 yards, he hits a fine wedge to the middle of the green, but a long putt left. Playing partner Schauffele hits the lip out of the bunker.
Big par for Rai (-5) from 10 feet at 10 to keep his momentum going. Smith (-5) hits a good drive on 16 after a good save on 15, but just trickles into the rough. A birdie there and two pars and JT can go home.
Eagle for Rai! He takes advantage of the par 5 9th and holes a long putt to fly up to -5.
McIlroy (-4) with 163 yards from the rough, takes on a tough line at the par 4 10th with a wedge on a downslope but he gets it over the water and it feeds towards the hole. Good shot and outside chance for birdie.
Schmid (-6) hits it too big at the par 3 8th, over the back right, work to do to make his par. Smith (-5) has another great chance for birdie and misses again, surprisingly for such a great putter, it’s his putting or else he could be leading.
McIlroy (-4) hits a big draw with the driver, it’s just in the semi-rough on the left at the 10th.
Bit of humour in the press room from Justin Thomas:
Par for McIlroy... he gives the putt too much break and it doesn’t come back. That’s an annoying one for him, but he’s far from out of it. He would have accepted two back heading into the back nine.
Birdie for his playing partner Schauffele, who has been quiet so far, but slow and steady could win the race here. He is up to -4 and that group two off the lead.
Bogeys for Rai and Aberg knock them back to -3. Again, McIlroy gets better placed by the moment as contenders fall by the wayside. Justin Thomas will also be looking on with intrigue in the clubhouse on 5 under.
McIlroy (-4) takes a putter from off the green and it’s not a great approach putt. Hits it too hard and knocks it about 10 foot past. If he doesn’t birdie after that drive, it will be a demoralising way to start the back nine.
Matti Schmid’s caddie is Chris Selfridge, from Northern Ireland, once a decent tour player himself. Uncharted territory for both of them. Caddies from the North going well this week - Harry Diamond, Ricky Elliott, Bo Martin and Selfridge.
McIlroy (-4) goes for a seven iron from over 200, couldn’t be placed better on the par 5 after the longest drive today. But it’s not enough club, a bit disappointing and he leaves it short of the green. Can still get up and down for a birdie.
Matti Schmid (-6) the leader is not too well known. He recently played with Ireland’s Séamus Power in the PGA Tour team event the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He has never won the PGA Tour or European Tours, a best Major finish was as an amateur at The Open in 2021, tied 59th. Certainly uncharted territory.
It’s a bogey for Rahm (-4) as he hits into thick rough on the 7th off the tee and can only hack out, then failed to get up and down. McIlroy has gone from ninth to tied 6th without doing anything, it’s not playing too easy out there.
The good news is McIlroy (-4) has hit a great drive at the par 5 9th. 379 yard bomb on the fairway, most importantly, and 208 yards left to hit in two.
Smalley (-6) has made an absolute hames of the 6th hole. With his third, he tries a low pitch to the front of the green but he’s a yard short and then he blades his next pitch. Now he is staring at double bogey. McIlroy will be within one shortly.
Or not! Schmid (-6) with the long putter has knocked one in up the hill at the 6th to take the lead instead. Smalley makes double bogey.
On the broadcast they said it’s a 26 per cent chance of a playoff, which would be a three-hole playoff rather than sudden death. We could be here a while.
Smalley (-6) is still in front but he’s made an error at the 6th to go from the rough into the bunker. Will have to get down in two to keep the lead.
McIlroy (-4) on the eighth has 45 feet for birdie and again lags it pretty well, two feet left for par.
Birdie for Harrington! He holes from just off the green again to a big cheer, three under for his last three holes. A week to remember from the 54-year-old.
Pádraig Harrington shoots one-under-par round of 69 on day four
Never got close enough to contend on Sunday, but he is on course to finish in the top 25 in a Major. How about that, would be his best finish since 2021.
McIlroy (-4) had no real angle to get it close, despite being inside 60 yards of the hole and has to aim for the middle of the green. He’s got about 25 feet for birdie on 7.
McIlroy lags it up for par. Sticking in it, without any major fireworks so far. Rahm (-5) hits to seven feet for birdie on the 6th to join the lead again.
A massive drive on an aggressive line by McIlroy (-4) on the 7th, some 388 yards! He only has 54 left on the par 4, albeit it will be from the rough. Taylor will join the -5 group after a brilliant tee shot on the par 3 5th to a foot.
Massive par for Smalley (-6) who hit it into the bunker and tried to use the slope but it never came down. But from 26 feet he’s holed the putt to stay in the lead.
McIlroy (-4) from 30 odd feet at 6, after a conservative approach dictated by where his drive was, hits a very good lag to a few inches from the hole again. He appears to check out the leaderboard, which he’d see that nobody is making a major move yet.
Eagle for Harrington! Short game magic from the Irishman on the 16th and he holes a bunker shot. What a week he is having and that shoot him up about 10 or 15 places on the leaderboard. Back to even par.
McIlroy (-4) drove the green on the 6th yesterday, opts for a fairway wood today which surprises Wayne Riley, and he miscues it into the fairway bunker.
Rai (-5) goes back to one behind after a good birdie putt on the 4th. Cameron Smith will also reach that number with a birdie on the 9th.
Harrington (+2) has not had a great day and falls further down the leaderboard with a bogey at the 15th. It also looks like Scheffler’s race is run after a three-putt bogey on the 14th knocks him back to -2.
Bogey for Rahm (-5), costly mistake after where he was off the tee. That will happen all day, ups and downs. Smalley back to the solo lead.
Thomas (-5) has a decent length par putt after hitting into the heavy rough off the tee. He gets it and sets the target in the clubhouse at -5 after a fantastic final round of 65. A two-time champion and whose father is a PGA pro, the American loves this event. I can’t see -5 winning it to be honest, but it’s given them something to think about.
Par for McIlroy (-4), good effort on the 5th, lags it up to a few inches.
A par for McIlroy at the 4th to stay at -4. Smalley (-6) makes an error at the 2nd as he hits his approach into the bunker. Rahm does the same on the 3rd hole, went for the flag and into the trap.
McIlroy hits an okay approach at the 5th, another long birdie putt left. Rahm has maybe 15 feet left for par. Better shot by Smalley, who actually avoided the bunker and hits a nice chip to close.
Disappointing approach by McIlroy (-4) from the middle of the fairway on 4, went right on him and it’s on the green but not a realistic birdie chance. Rai (-4) drops a shot on the 3rd, while Scheffler gives himself a glimmer with a birdie at the 13th to move to -3.
Birdie for Rahm! That’s two to start and he ties the lead on -6. Then a great drive on the 3rd. A reminder that Rahm could complete the Spanish slam with a win, a Spanish player has never won the PGA Championship. And it would mean he’d go into the Open Championship in Birkdale in July looking to complete the career Grand Slam that McIlroy did last year. A long way to go here though.
Thomas (-5) hits to the middle of the green at the par 3 17th, long putt left to get to -6. Smalley (-6) plays the first hole well tee to green, 20 feet for birdie which he misses and knocks a bit farther past than he would have liked.
On the 4th, McIlroy (-4) has hit another great drive, 325 yards down the middle. 135 yards left from the short grass. Here is a video of McIlroy’s birdie at the 2nd:
Just a par for McIlroy (-4) as he misses from 14 feet for birdie at the 3rd. Well played hole, close, onto the next one. Rahm (-5) on the second hole from the rough hits a good approach, 10 feet left to tie the lead.
Another player to make a great start, and ominous for the field, is Jon Rahm (-5) who birdies the fourth from five feet after a good approach. Aberg (-4) parred the first but he’s hit to close on the second. The way the course is set up, it’s important to make your birdies on the front nine and hold on for some tougher finishing holes.
Thomas (-5) makes another birdie on 16 and he will likely post a clubhouse score that will stay for quite a while.
McIlroy (-4) is in the middle of the fairway on the 3rd and hits a good wedge towards the back which gets the spin and comes back. Another birdie chance.
Birdie for McIlroy! Holes the putt for birdie from short-range, that’s an excellent start and narrows the deficit to two.
Aaron Rai (-5) birdies the first to break from the -4 group and go to solo second. Excellent approach to four feet and he converts.
Great approach by McIlroy. Wedged it to five feet on 2. That’s for birdie to go to -4.
Good drive by McIlroy (-3) at the second, 338 yards and on the fairway. Only 62 yards left to try to attack for birdie. Rahm (-4) is under way off the first, hitting a fairway wood and splitting the fairway.
Poor putt by McIlroy, opts for the putter over a wedge and leaves it well short, maybe 10 feet left for par.
Par for McIlroy! He holes the putt up the hill, great confidence booster already.
Justin Thomas (-4) makes a birdie at the tough 15th, he’s making a charge again at the PGA Championship. Came from seven back in 2022 to win.
Nice shot by Cameron Smith (-4) sets up a birdie chance to get to solo second, but just slips by the edge from 10 feet. Maverick McNealy holes a long putt on the first to get to -4. Niemann drops to -3, having to hole a long putt for bogey on the 3rd.
McIlroy’s (-3) lie isn’t too bad, 127 yards from the rough with a wedge. McIlroy plays for a flier of sorts but he doesn’t get it and he rolls down off the front of the green. Better shot by Schauffele (-3) who hits to the heart of it.
Rory McIlroy tees off the first
“Now on the tee from Northern Ireland, the 2012 and 2014 PGA Champion, Rory McIlroy,” says the announcer to much fanfare.
McIlroy’s (-3) first drive is in the right rough, not his best, but no major trouble. Schauffele (-3) goes the other way, down the left rough.
Scheffler (-2) gets a birdie on the par 5 9th to get to -9 and in the middle of the fairway at the 10th. Would need to come home with four or five birdies minimum to be in with a chance to win it you’d think. Cameron Smith (-4) holes a putt on 4 to get into the four unders group too.
A reminder of what McIlroy could achieve today:
If he won the PGA Championship, it would be his seventh Major championship, tying Harry Vardon for most by a European, moving past Nick Faldo on the all-time list. He’d go level with players like Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead for most Majors.
LIV star Joaquin Niemann has underperformed in Majors in his career so far but he’s making a run today, with birdies on his first two holes. Up to -4.
Hideki Matsuyama (-4) has made a very good start, two under on the day through five holes. McIlroy (-3) is making his last preparations before heading to the first tee for his 7.05pm tee time.
No big charge from Harrington so far anyway, one over par for the tournament after nine holes. He started well with a birdie on the second, but no joy after that, with bogeys at eight and nine. No charge either from defending champion Scottie Scheffler (-1), who is level par for the day. There was by Kitayama (-3) who shot 63 to fly up the leaderboard, but more relevant to winning the tournament may be Justin Thomas (-3), who is 3 under for the day through 12 and if could post 5 or 6 under then that would be interesting.
Shane Lowry shot a final round of 68, two-under, and two over for the tournament to pick up a few more bob and ranking points. Currently tied 49th, jumped 15 places.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink. After 54 holes, there were 22 players within four shots of the lead, the most in PGA Championship history. So that gives a context of the sort of shootout that could be ahead, where if any player near the lead gets hot they could take the spoils. Rory McIlroy is as well placed as anyone to do so after rounds of 67 and 66 on Friday and Saturday to make up for the 74 on Thursday, as he’s come roaring back into the tournament.
He goes out with 2024 champion Xander Schauffele at 7.05pm, you would not be surprised if the winner came from that pairing. Jon Rahm is another leading contender too, starting on -4, as is Ludvig Aberg. But for now, the man to catch is Alex Smalley, who has never won on tour but holds a two-shot lead. Can he handle the pressure and keep the lead? We’ll see.
