Viktor Hovland took a one-shot lead at 15-under par after the third round of the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club on Saturday. He wore a black ribbon in memory of the late King Harald of Norway during his round and said, "When I’ve given myself an opportunity, I’ve taken it. And here we are – after 54 holes, we’re in a good spot" [1, 2]. Ryan Gerard trailled closely in second place at 14-under par.
Four players, Scottie Scheffler, Adam Scott, Ludvig Aberg, and Chris Gotterup, were tied for third at 12-under par. Scheffler recorded a bogey-free 66 but struggled with his putting. He said, "I was close on the putts man. It’s challenging to hole putts. I’ll just keep giving myself the looks, and hopefully they’ll drop tomorrow" [1, 2].
Rory McIlroy moved up the leaderboard with a seven-under-par 63, including nine birdies and three consecutive birdies on holes 15, 16, and 17, reaching 10-under par, five shots off the lead. He commented, "I just left myself in better spots on the greens. I gave myself easier putts, putts that didn't break two ways. When I got it rolling there on the back nine, every putt was like a cup right or a cup left" [3].
JJ Spaun withdrew from the tournament due to injury during the first round, cutting the field to 29 players [3]. Robert MacIntyre also shot a 63 on Saturday to reach four-under par and finished joint 25th [3].
The PGA Tour Championship is the final event of the FedEx Cup playoffs. It carries a total prize pool of $40 million, with $10 million awarded to the winner [3, 1, 2]. The final round is scheduled for Sunday, 31 August 2026, at East Lake Golf Club [3].
