A challenging Oak Hill course took a toll on early starters in Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship, setting the stage for a dramatic afternoon trophy showdown.
American Jim Furyk held the lead on nine-under par 201 with countryman Jason Dufner one shot back, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson two back and Jonas Blixt three adrift.
Kerry Haigh, the Englishman who serves as the PGA of America’s chief championships officer, warned the layout offers early openings for shotmaking but toughens late.
“Players have a lot of opportunities to make birdie or better out there,” Haigh said. “But then you better tighten your belt.”
Among early starters, Germany’s Martin Kaymer birdied three of the first four holes and England’s Ian Poulter birdied four of the first six only to bogey five of the next six while British Open winner Phil Mickelson made a triple bogey at 5 and a double bogey at 7 on his way to a two-over 72 and a 12-over 292 finish.
And South Africa’s Tim Clark aced the par-3 11th hole.
The best final-round fightback to win in tournament history was by American John Mahaffey, who rallied from seven shots down in the last 18 holes and beat Tom Watson in a 1978 playoff at Oakmont.
Furyk, whose lone major title came at the 2003 US Open, was one of only two players to break par all three days.
But the 43-year-old American has not won a title since the 2010 US PGA Tour Championship and squandered four 54-hole leads last year, including at the US Open.
“I’m not in the grave yet,” Furyk said. “I’m going to have fun with it and I’m going to enjoy the opportunity.”
Dufner squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play and lost the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club.
Dufner has had some nervy moments already at Oak Hill’s 18th green, leaving a 12-foot birdie putt well short on a rainy Friday that would have given him the first 62 in major golf history.