Koepka gives chasing pack hope after two late slips

PGA Championship

Brooks Koepka will take a two-shot lead into the final day of the PGA Championship, but the American may regret that he doesn’t have a bigger advantage.

The two-time US Open champion shot a four under round of 66 at Bellerive to create some breathing space at the top of the leaderboard at 12 under, yet he had been five shots ahead at one point.

Koepka birdied both of the opening two holes and grabbed another three on the front nine. However, he gave the chasing pack hope with bogeys on 14 and 15 – his first dropped shots since the first round.

That saw second placed Adam Scott close the gap with birdies on 16 and 17, as the former Masters champion shot a 65 to move to 10 under overall.

“I played pretty well and got off to a hot start,” said Koepka.

“On the back nine I just made a couple of bad swings. It was nice to right the ship on the 17th [with a birdie].

“I just have to stay in the moment, don’t think about anything else, just come out and play.”

The trio of Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland and Jon Rahm are one behind Scott at nine under, with all three chasing their maiden major win. Woodland – who had led after each of the first two rounds – twice found greenside bunkers in a treble bogey on the 10th.

Tiger Woods is firmly in contention too after a 66 saw him move to eight under – four adrift of Koepka. There was a sense of frustration for the 14-time major winner though after following up five birdies and a bogey on the front nine, with 10 successive pars.

Woods is one of six players at eight under, along with Justin Thomas, Jason Day, Shane Lowry, Stewart Cink and Charles Schwartzel.

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