Alex Smalley woke up Sunday morning in an unfamiliar position: leading the US PGA Championship. The surprise front-runner, sitting at six under after a two-under 68 on Saturday at Aronimink in Philadelphia, will face a leaderboard so tightly bunched that 30 players are within five shots of the top—a historic compress that transforms a major championship into something entirely unpredictable.
Saturday's third round, known across golf as "moving day," absolutely lived up to its name. The previous two days at Aronimink had played like a brutally difficult US Open, with pin positions so demanding that even the sport's elite bristled. Scottie Scheffler, the world's top-ranked player, called some Friday placements "absurd." The PGA of America listened. They moved tees up, repositioned pins to be more accessible, and Saturday's gentler conditions unleashed scoring that flattened the leaderboard into chaos—in the best possible way.
Fourteen different players held at least a share of the lead at some point. Among them were some of the sport's biggest names, who seized the opportunity to vault themselves back into contention. Rory McIlroy, who began Thursday outside the top 100 after opening with a four-over 74, shot a 66 to stand three under. The world number two was aggressive in his approach, pushing himself to four under—a share of the lead—before faltering with a bogey at the 17th. Yet he remains very much in the hunt for something extraordinary: a win would make him only the sixth player ever to win the first two majors of the year, and it would be the greatest major championship comeback after 18 holes, surpassing Steve Jones's 1996 US Open victory when he climbed from tied 84th.
Justin Rose, at 45 years old and 13 years removed from his US Open win at Merion—just six miles from Aronimink—authored the round of the day with a superb 65 to sit four shots back. Rose has endured recent heartbreak in majors: a playoff loss to McIlroy at last year's Masters, and a collapse this year after holding the lead with nine holes to play. His new McLaren irons proved fortunate, with six birdies and only one bogey suggesting that redemption may finally be near. Should he win, he would end a 107-year drought for an English champion at the championship.
Jon Rahm, the Spaniard chasing his third major and hoping to become Spain's first US PGA winner, carded a 67 to sit two shots back. He too carries the weight of recent disappointment, having not added to his two major titles since joining LIV Golf before 2024. He missed a four-footer on the final hole to drop a shot, but few doubt he remains the man to beat.
Scheffler, despite defending his title from last year with a Saturday 65, stumbled to a 71 and fell five shots adrift. Yet even he acknowledged the singular nature of Sunday's challenge. "I've never seen a leaderboard this bunched up," he said. "It's quite literally anybody's tournament. Somebody is going to have a great round, and I'm going to give myself my best shot at being the one."
The stage is set. With attack-ready pins and little wind expected, anyone within reach has a genuine chance to win.