US PGA Championship Golf, Day Three - Koepka closes in on defending his title

Brooks Koepka maintained his seven shot lead on day three of the US PGA Championship.

Photo from BBC Sport

The American began Saturday on 12 under, but showed vulnerability for the first time in a round three par of 70, but the chasing pack failed to capitalise at Bethpage Black.
Koepka is chasing a fourth victory in his eighth major and, because of the US PGA Championship's move from August to May, he can become the first player to hold back-to-back titles in two majors at the same time, along with the US Open.

The 29-year-old's seven-shot lead is a record after 54 holes of the US PGA Championship, and never before has a golfer gone on to lose the championship after being that far ahead going into the final day.
Having taken 28 holes to register his first bogey, he wracked up two on the trot on the ninth and 10th holes today.

Dustin Johnson was one under for the day and is in a group of four who are tied for second.
The world number one was joined on five under by Americans Harold Varner III and Luke List and Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond.
World number 76 List mounted a challenge on Koepka, hitting three successive birdies on the back nine to get to seven under and reduce the lead to five while Johnson also reached seven under with four birdies on the front nine.
Johnson's bogey at the last means he will not be paired with Koepka for the final day.
Jordan Spieth slipped to three under with a two over 72.
2013 Masters champion Adam Scott faltered after he and Spieth began Saturday's round joint second on five under.
England's Matt Wallace stays at four under with a 70 on day three - carding three birdies and three bogeys.
He is the only European in the top 14 on the leaderboard after fellow Englishmen Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood went backwards with rounds of 73 and 72 respectively.
Rose struggled with the putter and dropped from three under to level par in the space of four holes, which included a double bogey on the par-three 14th.
Fleetwood had a steady front nine before successive bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes left the Southport golfer looking frustrated.
Rory McIlroy had earlier carded a 69 - his first under-par round of the tournament - to finish on two over tied for 26th.
He joined Ireland's Shane Lowry (68) and England's Danny Willett (69) as the only Europeans to card under-par scores.

Day three leaderboard
-12 B Koepka (USA)
-5 H Varner III (USA), J Janewattananond (THA), L List (USA), D Johnson (USA)
-4 H Matsuyama (JPN), M Wallace (ENG)
-3 X Schauffele (USA), A Scott (AUS), J Spieth (USA)

-1 R Fowler (USA)
Level D Willett (ENG), T Fleetwood (ENG), J Rose (ENG)
+2 S Lowry (IRE), J Day (AUS), R McIlroy (NIR) T Hatton (ENG)
+3 F Molinari (ITA)
+5 G McDowell (NIR)
+6 P Casey (ENG), P Mickelson (USA) M Fitzpatrick (ENG)

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