Alex Smalley leads a packed PGA Championship leaderboard, with Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Justin Rose and Xander Schauffele chasing.
The PGA Championship final round at Aronimink is loaded with drama, pressure and star power. Alex Smalley leads at 6-under after 54 holes, but with 30 players within five shots, Sunday could turn chaotic fast.
Smalley, 29, has the most obvious life-changing opportunity. He’s never won on the PGA TOUR, and now he’s 18 holes away from becoming a major champion. Holding a two-shot lead in a PGA Championship final round is a completely different kind of test, especially for a player still adjusting to golf’s biggest stages.
READ MORE: Alex Smalley Survives PGA Chaos To Keep Lead
Ludvig Åberg is right behind him at 4-under, and this feels like another defining Sunday for one of golf’s most talented young stars. Åberg has already been in major moments at the Masters and THE PLAYERS, but closing one out would change the conversation around him immediately.
Rory McIlroy is lurking at 3-under after a third-round 66, and that should make everyone nervous. McIlroy already owns the career Grand Slam, and another major would give him seven for his career. It also would make the golf world start wondering whether a historic season sweep is really possible.
Xander Schauffele is also at 3-under after a Saturday 66 of his own. After winning two majors in 2024, Schauffele can remind everyone that he still belongs near the very top of the sport.
Then there’s Justin Rose, sitting four back. At 45, Rose knows chances like this don’t come around forever, but Aronimink has been kind to him before.
Smalley has the lead, but the PGA Championship is far from settled. With McIlroy, Åberg, Schauffele and Rose all chasing, Sunday has all the ingredients for a major finish nobody forgets.
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