LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The hometown hero hasn’t lost yet.
Louisville native Justin Thomas, figuratively carried through Valhalla by the roar of his home crowd, enters Sunday’s final round at 10 under par, five shots behind the leader after shooting a 67 on Saturday. ing.
“It was really more fun than I expected or imagined,” Thomas said of playing in front of his home crowd. “I mean, I’m very, very excited.” [Sunday], it should be a lot of fun. But I’m sad that the week is almost over.just have fun [Sunday] Let’s see what happens while we can.
“I feel like I accomplished the most important part, which is at least putting myself in hitting distance. I’m going to need a really good front nine.” [Sunday] To work my way in the mix. I feel like I can fully demonstrate my playing ability, so I hope I get a chance on the back nine. ”
Thomas came back from a seven-stroke deficit entering the final round of the 2022 PGA at Southern Hills to defeat Will Zalatoris in a playoff to win his second Wanamaker Trophy.
I mean, he knows it’s possible.
A year ago, Michael Brock captivated the golf world as the club pro who made waves at the PGA Championship.
Brock finished his magical week tied for 15th, which earned him a spot this year.
He missed Friday’s 36-hole cut.
However, of the 21 participants in the tournament, two club pros, Brayden Shattuck and Jeremy Wells, qualified and will play over the weekend.
This is the third time in the past 15 years that multiple club pros have qualified.
Rob Labritz, Marty Jertson and Ryan Vermeer, all of Glen Arbor, Michigan, did it at Bethpage Black in 2019.
Ben Cook and Brad Marek did it on Kiawah Island in 2021.
Shattuck, director of instruction at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Pennsylvania, made the cut after missing out on his first appearance at the PGA Championship last year.
His story is amazing: in 2019, he suffered two herniated discs in his back in a car accident and had to rebuild his swing because he couldn’t swing a golf club for two years.
Shattuck won the 2023 PGA Professional Championship, which will be played at Oak Hill, but missed the cut.
“It’s something I’m very proud of,” Shattuck said of qualifying for his first PGA. “I’m happy to represent the PGA of America here.”
In the third round, he faced SH Kim and Stefan Jaeger.
Wells, who started the day at 2-under, is the director of player development at Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers, Florida.
He finished the second round on Saturday morning after play was suspended due to darkness on Friday.
“We woke the kids up at 4:30 to go to the golf course,” Wells said. “We were wrapped up in blankets in the clubhouse. Yes, we didn’t sleep very well, but it wasn’t the first time we felt that way. Fortunately, this morning we had eight and nine. , which is a normal hole here. Still, I knew I had to stand over three feet high.”
Entering Saturday, Scottie Scheffler had shot at least even par in each of his last 42 official rounds on the PGA Tour.
This is 10 rounds shy of Tiger Woods’ record of 52 from 2000-2001.
Briton Justin Rose, who skyrocketed up the leaderboard with a strong start on Saturday, has enjoyed great success on the PGA, even though he hasn’t won.
Rose, 43, tied for ninth at Oak Hill last year, tied for 13th at Southern Hills in 2022, tied for eighth at Kiawah Island in 2021 and tied for ninth at Harding Park in 2020.
In the past 40 years, two players have finished in the top 15 five times in a row at the PGA Championship: Brooks Koepka (six times in a row from 2014-19) and Jason Day (five times in a row from 2013-17). Only.
The only player to finish in the top 15 at the PGA Championship five years in a row after his 40th birthday was Sam Snead (five years in a row from 1956 to 1960).
