FARMINGDALE, N.Y. _ Brooks Koepka turned the biggest 36-hole lead in PGA Championship history into the biggest 54-hole lead in the tournament's history simply by shooting a steady par 70 in the third round Saturday at Bethpage Black to maintain a seven-stroke cushion. Koepka wasn't as spectacular as his first two rounds of 12-under-par play, but the important thing is that he's a powerful frontrunner who refused to make the big mistake that might let the field back into it.
Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott, who were tied for second after two rounds, retreated with a pair of 72s that left them tied for eighth with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay at 3 under. The best two rounds of the day came from lightly regarded Jazz Janewattananond and Harold Varner III who each shot 67 to move into a second-place tie at 5 under with world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, who bogeyed the 18th hole for a third-round 69. Hideki Matsuyama and Matt Wallace are tied for sixth at 4 under.
Schauffele, who shot a 68, admitted Koepka essentially has turned his competitors into little more than spectators to his display of power and precision. "I don't know if the tournament is less fun because I'm 15 shots back or what it is," said Schauffele, exaggerating only slightly. "But it's very melancholic after today I'd say just because, every time I look up, I'm 10 to 12 back.
