Collin Morikawa Tied for the Lead Entering the Final Round of the PGA

Coliln Morikawa is positioned to win his third career major golf title on Sunday.

But the final round at the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, promises to be a wild ride.

Morikawa, the 27-year-old Cal grad shot a 4-under 67 in the third round, briefly took sole possession of the lead then held onto a share of the top spot with a birdie on the 18th hole.

He is tied with second-round leader Xander Schauffele, the world's third-ranked player, at 15 under par, one stroke ahead of No. 12 Sahith Theegala, and two in front of three other contenders.

Morikawa, the world’s 13th-ranked player, won the 2020 PGA at Harding Park in San Francisco, then captured the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s at Kent, England in 2021.

He will need a big effort on Sunday, which has eluded him in recent months. Morikawa shot a final-round 74 last week at the Wells Fargo Championship, and posted that same score in the final round at the Masters last month, preventing him from finishing higher than a tie for third place.

Morikawa hasn’t shot a final round in the 60s since the Genesis Invitational in February, but he feels ready for this chance.

"I've played against all these guys. It's not like any of these guys are new," Morikawa said of his approach to the final round. "They all have their accolades within themselves, and really anyone can go low."

Fellow Cal grad Max Homa sits in a tie for 29th place at minus-6 after a third-round 69 and Byeong Hun An, another ex-Golden Bear, shot a 1-over 72 and slipped to a tie for 54th place at 3 under.

Trailing by a stroke beginning play Saturday, Morikawa shadowed Schauffele much of the day. But Schauffele’s lead swelled to two strokes when he birdied No. 14 to get to minus-15.

Their positions flip-flopped on the 15th, with a dramatic three-stroke swing. Schauffele made a double-bogey 6 to drop to 13 under and Morikawa rimmed in a birdie putt to take the lead at minus-14.

Shane Lowry, a 37-year-old from Ireland, already was in the clubhouse after a spectacular bogey-free round of 62, tying the record for a single round at the PGA and putting him at 13 under. Ranked 43rd in the world, Lowry came up just short on his try for a 10th birdie on the 18th hole.

Meanwhile, Theegala chipped in from the fringe on No. 15 to pull into a tie for second with Schauffele and Lowry.

The top of the leaderboard got more contested still when Bryson DeChambeau chipped in from off the green for an eagle on No. 18, capping a round of 67 that pulled him into a share of second.

And 7th-ranked Viktor Hovland shot a 66 for the second day in a row to also reach minus-13.

Schauffele pulled back even with Morikawa by making a birdie on No. 17, before both players and Theegala birdied the 18th to end the day. Theegala made six birdies over his final 10 holes to finish with a 67.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who overcame a brush with law enforcement Friday morning to stay in contention, had less success on Saturday. He was four over par through the first four holes and shot a 1-over 72, snapping a streak of 41 consecutive rounds of par or better, and dropping him to a tie for 24th place at 7 under.

Homa, ranked No. 10 in the world, climbed as high as a tie for 18th after a birdie on No. 15 got him to minus-7. But he made double bogey on No. 16, dropping him back minus-5 and a share of 34th place. The 33-year-old closed with a birdie on 18 to finish the day 69.

Now ranked 23rd in the world, An also finished with a birdie on the 18th after two bogeys and a double bogey over the previous six holes. He had a nice stretch from No. 7 through 11, with three birdies in a stretch of five holes.