PGA Championship tracker: Day 3 at Whistling Straits

The 97th PGA Championship takes place this week at Whistling Straits Golf Course in Sheboygan, Wis. GolfChannel.com is tracking the men’s final major of the season through on-site reporting and social media. For additional coverage, click here for full-field scores and click here for our Tiger Tracker. And check out our Day 2 blog here. All-times for the PGA tracker are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

8:30PM: And this is where we leave you. Here’s a final look at the leaderboad after 54 holes. Tomorrow should be fun.

8:26PM: So all eyes will be on Spieth and Day tomorrow in the final group. Anybody want a dark horse?

8:22PM: Jason Day closes out his Saturday with a ho-hum par and a 6-under 66. We have a potentially epic final round on tap tomorrow.

8:15PM: Justin Rose puts the finishing touches on a 4-under 68 with a disappointing bogey at the last. Sits three back through 54.

8:11PM: This says it all.

8:06PM: David Feherty on Matt Jones’ lie in the rough on the par-3 17th ... “I don’t think the devil could’ve placed it any worse.” Jones makes double, but Day comes back with a birdie to take the lead by two.

8:01PM: This is how you move on Moving Day.

7:59PM: How good has Spieth been this year at the majors? Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

7:56PM: Day catches a tough break on the par-5 16th. Finds some thick rough just off the green and has to settle for par. Stays one ahead of Spieth.

7:50PM: This just in. Jordan Spieth is really good at golf. Birdies the final hole for a 65 to get within a shot of the lead. Kid is ridiculous.

7:36PM: OK, maybe he’s not threatening history. Leaves his first shot in the bunker. Gets it out on his second attempt, makes double. What’s Jordan doing? Oh, just making another birdie. Within two. Someone hasn’t given up hope, though she’s not really allowed to.

7:33PM: Meanwhile, Day hits what could be his worst shot of the round. Approach lands in left greenside bunker on 15. His streak of only 3s on the back side in danger. But he’s still threatening history.

7:30PM: Spieth hits tee shot on the par-3 17th. Yells at ball to turn left. Ball says “OK.” Another short birdie putt upcoming.

7:26PM: Spieth making birdies just to keep up at this point. Makes fourth back-nine circle on 16. Five back.

7:18PM: Day says come and get me on 14. Hits 52-degree wedge to a few feet. Makes the putt. Pin-seeking personified. Stays two up after Jones makes a birdie of his own.

7:09PM: Another birdie for Jason Day. He’s 5 under on his last five holes and sits two clear of the field.

7:05PM: Some good sportsmanship from the 2010 PGA Champion, who shot a 7-under 65 today. We haven’t seen much of DJ on TV today, but he’s hanging in there, currently 9 under.

6:58PM: Just in case you were feeling strong today. You’re not.

6:48PM: Matt Jones birdies 11 to grab the lead. Holds onto it for approximately 19 seconds before playing partner Jason Day pours an eagle right on top of it. Leads alone at 14 under.

6:48PM: Matt Jones birdies 11 to grab the lead. Holds onto it for approximately 19 seconds before playing partner Jason Day pours an eagle right on top of it. Leads alone at 14 under.

6:43PM: Anyone heard of this kid?

6:34PM: Branden Grace makes it a three-way tie for the lead by holing a shot out of the sand on 18 for a 64. Jason Day makes it a four-way tie with a long putt on 10. Rose blows his chance to make it a five-way tie by missing a four-foot eagle putt on 11.

6:30PM: Don’t look now, but that’s two birdies in a row for Jordan Spieth. He’s back on the first page of the leaderboard. Three off the lead.

6:25PM: And suddenly we have a ballgame. Jones’ bogey opened the door.

6:19PM: Jones can’t get up and down, makes a heckuva bogey though. Safe to say he handled it better than Shooter McGavin would have.

6:16PM: Jones, from the hospitality tent to the thick greenside rough. NBD. Fans surround him after he hits, making sure to hold their drinks above his head, so they don’t spill.

6:13PM: Your leader Matt Jones drives one into the hospitality tent on No. 9, and he’s pacing out the yardage, moving people and furniture. This is awesome.

6:07PM: If Rory wins the PGA tomorrow, it will take something special. If he wins The Barclays, it will be a miracle.

6:01PM: Nice front nine from Finau. He makes the turn at 11 under, two behind Jones.

5:53PM: Rory birdies 18 for a 4-under 68. At 6 under, he’s still got a chance on Sunday.

5:51PM: Billy on the board. Horschel birdies 10, 11 and 12 and is at 9 under with Rose and Kaymer.

5:48PM: DJ’s hanging around. Birdies par-5 11th to get back to 7 under.

5:44PM: Still a long way to go ...

5:38PM: Rose’s birdie on No. 5 was pretty sweet.

5:33PM: Birdies are flowing again. Finau (10 under) birdies par-3 7th. Kuchar and Matsuyama both join the group at 8 under.

5:24PM: Strong showing by the defending champion ...

5:22PM: Grace is on fire. He’s made three straight birdies (11-13) to reach 10 under. Day is back to 10 under after a birdie on par-5 5th

5:20PM: After a birdie on 1 Spieth (7 under) has made six straight pars.

5:15PM: Rose gets back to 8 under with a birdie on the par-5 5th.

5:10PM: Grace makes second birdie in a row. He’s at 9 under, three off the lead.

5:08PM: Tony Finau joins Day and Lahiri at 9 under. Kaymer, Casey and Matsuyama join a group of seven players at 7 under.

5:04PM: Grace birdies par-5 11th to reach 8 under. Day bogeys 4 and is back to 9 under. Jones’s lead back to three strokes.

4:54PM: Rose doubles par-4 4th and drops back to 7 under.

4:51PM: Plenty of birdies out there.

4:46PM: Day nearly aces the par-3 3rd. He’s back to 10 under and two behind Jones, who made a nice up and down from a bunker left of the green.

4:36PM: Day finds three bunkers on No. 2 and makes a bogey. Jones now leads by three strokes over Day, Rose and Lahiri.

4:24PM: Whales are currently migrating through Lake Michigan.

4:18PM: Birdies all around. Jones (12 under) and Day (10 under) both birdie No. 1. Lahiri birdies 1 and 2 to reach 9 under.

4:10PM: Rose drops a bomb on No. 1. He’s 9 under par. Anirban Lahiri, who also birdied No. 1, is at 8 under.

4:06PM: Schwartzel and Grace reach 7 under par. Schwartzel’s birdied Nos. 9, 10 and 11, while Grace birdied the par-3 7th.

4:02PM: Spieth still has some work to do today ...

3:58PM: McIlroy birdies No. 10. He’s back to 5 under with a par 5 coming up.

3:51PM: Spieth birdies No. 1 to reach 7 under. DJ bogeys par-3 3rd to drop to 5 under.

3:45PM: DJ birdies No. 2 and he’s at 6 under, five behind Jones.

3:42PM: Phil pars 18 for a 66. He finishes at 5 under par after making nine birdies and three bogeys.

3:35PM: Rory bogeys Nos. 6 and 8. He’s back to 4 under par.

3:29PM: Some light reading for you on this lovely PGA Championship Saturday ... if you’re interested.

3:25PM: ICYMI, here’s Rory McIlroy making eagle at the par-5 fifth hole. NBD.

3:20PM: Look out, field! Phil Mickelson just made his NINTH birdie of the day, the most birdies Phil’s ever had in one round in a major. He’s now 5 under for the PGA Championship.

3:15PM: If DJ is going to win the PGA, he’s got his work cut out for him,

2:45PM: That’s eagle for McIlroy at the par-5 fifth hole. He’s now 6 under and just five shots off Matt Jones (11 under).

2:30PM: Hot start for world No. 1 Rory McIlroy:

2:09PM: Call it a 2-for-1: That’s a birdie at No. 2 for the No. 1 player in the world. Rory McIlroy moves to 3 under at the PGA.

2:06PM: Hearts break everywhere ... because Phil’s birdie streak comes to an end. Or maybe they didn’t. Either way, Phil remains at 4 under through 12 holes on Saturday.

1:54PM: Dustin Johnson sighting:

1:52PM: We’ll give you two guesses as to what Phil Mickelson did at the par-5 11th, but you’re only going to need one.

1:44PM: Pars at the first for both Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka. They remain 2 under for the championship.

1:35PM: Count ‘em. That’s three ... we repeat, THREE birdies in a row for Phil Mickelson. Eight more birdie opportunities left in his round. Currently at 3 under and eight back.

1:30PM: Next on the tee: Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka.

1:21PM: That’s two birdies in a row for Phil Mickelson, who is now 3 under on the day and 2 under for the tournament.

1:20PM: More of the same for Victor Dubuisson who continues his stellar performance in Round 3.

1:15PM: Steve Stricker opens with birdie on Saturday and is now 2 under, just nine back of leader Matt Jones.

1:10PM: Spotted! World No. 1 Rory McIlroy in all black for Saturday’s third round.

1:00PM: They’re on a boat!

12:50PM: Phil Mickelson is playing in the third round and he’s doing Phil Mickelson stuff.

12:36PM: In case you missed it this morning, this is how Matt Jones built a two-shot lead at the PGA:

12:20PM: Will we see a 62 on Saturday? Danny Lee is 4 under through five and Victor Dubuisson is 4 under through eight. Lee is at 3 under, overall; Dubuisson 2 under.

12:06PM: Only four hours until the final group goes out!

11:52AM: If you’re so inclined:

11:42AM: The 2013 PGA champion has seen happier times in this event.

11:32AM: Brian Gaffney is nearing his third-round tee time (11:54 a.m. ET). He’s at even par and the lone club pro, out of 20 in the field to start, who made the cut.

11:15AM: More good stuff to read. Unless you’re one of these players who missed the cut.

11:02AM: A look at where things stand as the leaders still have five hours until they tee off in Round 3.

10:53AM: To play or not to play? Ryan Lavner writes that Tiger Woods is mulling a start at the Wyndham.

10:45AM: Interesting Matt Jones nugget:

10:35AM: Hear from Tiger Woods after his third consecutive missed cut in a major.

10:30AM: From the mind of Will Gray:

10:18AM: Here are the third-round tee times. The times are local (CT).

10:10AM: Some notables to miss the cut include: Zach Johnson, Padraig Harrington, Jimmy Walker, Richie Ramsay, Tiger Woods, Steven Bowditch, Graeme McDowell, James Hahn, Ben An, Ian Poulter, Brendon Todd, Camilo Villegas, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Colin Montgomerie, Adam Scott, and Ryder Cup captains Davis Love and Darren Clarke.

10:00AM: Round 3 will get underway in exactly 15 minutes. Here are your hole locations:

And here’s some intermission music in honor of our leader and his closest pursuer:

9:53AM: Jones’ 133 total is even more impressive considering his playing partners were a combined 30 over. Jones beat Matt Every by 21 shots and club pro Brian Cairns by 31.

9:50AM: Background on Jones:

And if you’ve forgotten this, then shame on you.

9:45AM: Matt Jones finishes Round 2 as your leader at 11 under. Rounds of 68-65 have him two clear of fellow Aussie Jason Day. Jones was 5 under at the close of play last night and made two more birdies this morning. A look at the board:

9:37AM: o_0

9:31AM: Tiger has a long history of entering every tournament - with the exception of a few recent “building” starts - with the intent to win. Well, in the event he decides to play, he’ll need to.

9:27AM: Get excited Greensboro fans!

Our story from last night on Woods’ wishy-washy commitment right here.

9:25AM: Matt Jones is now your leader by two thanks to a birdie at No. 8. Jones is a whopping 7 under in Round 2 and 2 under this morning. Oi oi oi.

9:23AM: Tough way to close for Tony Finau, who like a lot of players made bogey at the let’s-call-it-a-little-much par-4 18th. That said, Finau made up ground this morning with an eagle at 16. He sits at 7 under through two rounds, currently three back.

9:15AM: And that’ll be it for Tiger. Woods closed birdie-par and probably hit his best shots of the week on his final two holes. Of course, he was out of contention to even make the cut at that point. Rounds of 75-73 leave him at 4 over for the championship.

9:06AM: Additional thoughts on DJ’s slip-up in Round 2.

9:03AM: Day’s bogey means Matt Jones is your new outright leader at 10 under, following a birdie at No. 6.

9:00AM: A three-putt from over 100 feet results in a bogey for Jason Day at 18. His 4-iron from more than 230 yards found the far left side of the green. Day got himself to 10 under with a birdie at 16 but he’ll close at minus-9.

8:57AM: Dustin Johnson made four pars this morning to finish his second round. That’s a disappointing 1-over 71 for DJ, who played the par 5s plus-1. That’s never good, and it’s especially bad for him.

8:54AM: Birdie for Tiger at 17 is too little too late barring a hole-out from the fairway at 18.

8:45PM: Par at 16 for Tiger after some bunker trouble. So what are we dealing with here?

Oh.

8:38AM: Day with a workman-like, two-putt par at 17 to stay at 10 under. Tweet below gives you a good indication of just how well this guy has played this year.

8:33AM: That’s one way to make par. Bubba Watson on 18 failed to find the putting surface from the greenside trap and then chipped in for par. Bubba will be around for the weekend - oh, right, the afternoon - at 1 under.

8:26AM: Jason Day now leads by himself at 10 under thanks to a two-putt birdie at the par-5 16th. Gave his second shot an encouraging “be as good as it looks” when it was in the air. Rose, separately, appears headed for breakfast. Smart man.

8:19AM: Justin Rose completes his second round with an impressive two-putt from the front of the 18th green to a back-right hole location. Played it up toward the edge of the green and had it break a couple different directions. Well done. Rose is in the house at 8 under, just one back of Day - although probably not for long.

8:12AM: The sky over Lake Michigan is beautiful this morning. It was only 12 hours ago officials were surveying the damage done by Friday’s storm.

Here, in case you missed it last night, is a look at what happened to our LIVE From the PGA set:

8:07AM: “No! Don’t go left. Go right.” The first Tiger Woods update of the day is not a happy one. Big Cat did not get up and down from over the back at No. 14 and was left, instead, talking to his golf ball. Tiger now to 5 over and three off the cut with four to play.

8:00AM: Play has resumed at the 97th PGA championship. Jason Day and Matt Jones are tied for the lead. Tiger Woods has five holes to play and starts Saturday two shots off the cut. Back it, folks.