– That Scottie Scheffler was not able to perform in the third round of the PGA as he had been doing was not surprising in any way. It was suspected that the dungeon affair, police, handcuffs and lawyers could affect him more on Saturday than on Friday, the same day of the events, in which he was jumping from square to square on the board without time to assimilate anything: now they take my fingerprints, now I hit on the 1st tee…
Another thing is that, even in his circumstances, one thought that he, precisely he, was able to find in the bag, down there, crumpled, under the rain suit, the Superman cape. It was not the case and it must be understood. Today, if we continue to rely on intuition, it is normal that in his round there are no grey tones or half measures: either he blows up the Kentucky course or he simply ends up falling apart.
– That Viktor Hovland goes out on Sunday in Valhalla with serious chances of winning his first Major is only a relative surprise. In reality, it is the Norwegian himself who explained it better than anyone after signing a card of 66 strokes yesterday. “I am surprised in the sense of how far I saw myself last week. But on the other hand I am not because I never doubted my abilities, my golf. I knew there was nothing wrong with my mentality. This same week, in the days leading up to the tournament I saw that we were moving in the right direction and I thought: maybe we can do some damage. Although, yes, there is no doubt that the position I am in has exceeded expectations”. So that: surprise, yes, but with nuances.
– That Shane Lowry had a three-meter putt to make birdie on the 18th and sign a 61, the best card in the history of the majors, was surprising… Precisely because it had never happened (in fact, it didn’t happen). However, this Major week it had been assumed with some normality that some inspired player on the greens could approach monstrous records. For one fundamental reason, well known: the receptivity of the greens due to the rain. And another one: the wind has also not been this week to help the course defend itself.
Today, Sunday, however, something tells us that the average number of strokes will be significantly higher if indeed no more water falls, as it seems it will be. We will not see a fierce Valhalla, that is saying a lot, but at least the greens will gain a little more firmness.
– It is not very surprising to see Collin Morikawa in the stellar match on Sunday. Not as much, at least, as a few weeks ago, at Augusta National, where he did not appear in any pool in the days before. Every drop that fell this week on Valhalla increased his chances, as the Californian honestly acknowledged after finishing yesterday’s round at the top of the table. “I knew this course was long and I think the receptive greens have helped me, in the sense that I have been able to hit my 5 or 4 irons to the flag and get away with it”.
– It is also not shocking that Justin Rose is among the candidates for victory after 54 holes. It is true, he is already in the autumn of his career and had missed the cut in the last three Majors, but there are players who have earned the right to an eternal swan song. The Englishman is one of them. He was a key piece in last September’s Ryder, let’s not forget… And he still gets into the 2025 team.
– It was somewhat more surprising, why not say it, that Rory McIlroy‘s Saturday charge was not even deeper, as he was coming, as he was seen last Sunday. We had set the expectations so high that we were determined to confirm them. But in the end, things as they are, if anything we have learned in the last fifteen years is that Rory’s cycles and biorhythms are unfathomable, indecipherable…
At least, he has a clear goal today, because, besides, if he doesn’t win, he doesn’t care about the position he finishes in: he needs something like a 62 to give himself some option. The golf world would vibrate if he achieved it, but it certainly wouldn’t be too surprised either.
– With Xander Schauffele we have to go in parts. It is not surprising at all to have him there, again, at the top, because there seems to be no one with a greater capacity to simply take the ball to the center of the green, when it touches, or much closer to the flag when the numbers come out (well yes, actually, Scottie Scheffler, but we understand each other). However, curiously, it still costs more than the account to visualize in advance the image of the Californian holding the Wanamaker Trophy. Some day the dam will break, we all think. Some day he will be able to tear that subtle veil of fatality that envelops him on Major Sundays.
– And Sahith Theegala? If there is any major scenario in which Theegala can be Theegala it is this Valhalla Golf Club. Freshness and aggressiveness. His evolution is constant and determined, so it was not so surprising to see him recover from a bad start yesterday with a series of five birdies in seven holes. While he continues to mature towards that mega star profile, this Sunday will be a walking paradox: he can only win if he is true to that sharp style that, on the other hand, could end his options sooner than due…
– The only truly shocking, astonishing surprise we have encountered so far is that Brooks Koepka did not go under seventy strokes in the third round. Moreover: that he played clearly over par (round of 74) and was left without any option. Yes, we know how golf is, but listen, this was not in the forecasts of absolutely anyone. Brooks Koepka, even on a day of real bad luck, was going to sign a 68 and there was nothing more to say. There was no other possibility. There was no turning back on this. It is not a bitter criticism of the Florida man, rather the most respectful of compliments.
