This has taken a major turn for the unexpected. Scheffler has been all over the place so far and momentum is firmly with Rahm who draws level after his 11th hole. Scheffler is going to need to steady this ship quickly. Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick’s eagle means he is two off the lead. It has been a slow-burner for sure, but it’s blazing now.

Jon Rahm has caught Scottie Scheffler. The Spaniard was five shots behind the American at the start of the day but another birdie, this time on the 11th, means that he has nestled himself next to the world No1 and allows himself a tame fist bump. That may change into a puch of the air after Scheffler finds the bunker on 9. Are we about to see Rahm become the outright leader?

Meanwhile, Matt Fitzpatrick has joined Poston and Noren in third after a sexy eagle on the par-four 14th. It’s kicking off in Charlotte.

Well, well, well. At the start of the day, Scottie Scheffler had a three-shot lead. It is now just one shot. The World No1 has a good go with a mud ball from 25ft, but pulls his putt just short, missing the par and can now smell Rahm breathing down his neck. Hopefully for Scheffler, Rahm has been staying off the garlic. GAME ON!

Rahm closing in on Scheffler

Deary me, Jon Rahm turning it on. While Scheffler remains on one-over for the day, Rahm has made another birdie, on the par-five 10th, to cut the American’s lead to just two shots. Two! Rahm’s chipping is on point and he has so much fire in his belly right now. Will he have a trophy in his hands in a few hours team?

Wham, bam, here comes Rahm

Oh hot dang, we have a contest, ladies and gentlemen. Scheffler’s lead is down to just three shots, with Alex Noren and Jon Rahm closing the gap.

Noren, like Scheffler, is one-over for the day thanks to a birdie on the par-five 7th having landed in the greenside bunker. The Swede’s wonderful chip-in did the business.

As for Rahm, he gets his first birdie of the day (he made seven yesterday) and it comes on the par-four 8th, repeating his trick from Thursday and Friday. No Spaniard has ever won the PGA Championship. Could Rahm be the first?

Schauffele tips Scheffler

Xander Schauffele, the defending champion, did not go quietly. After all the talk about Rory McIlroy having to change drivers when his favoured one failed the tech test, Schauffele said he was not alone. “I think Scottie is winning the tournament and I think he switched to his back-up too,” he told journalists. He also said all the field should be tested, rather than selected 50, and then criticised the 17th set-up as “ridiculous”. He finished at one-under after dropping three shots on the Green Mile. A testing week all round.

More hunters for the hunted

There has been a lot of moving and shaking over the past ten minutes but Scottie Scheffler remains out in front, with a lead of four shots…over nine players. Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau have joined the six-under party. DeChambeau made birdies on the 7th and 9th while Finau took the more scenic route, hitting bogeys on the 3rd and 6th before nailing three consecutive birdies.

After a bit of rough start, Matt Fitzpatrick has also moved to six-under thanks to birdies on the par-four 9th and par-five 10th. Davis Riley, who birdied to move to outright second on seven-under, is now level with the chasing pack thanks to a bogey on the par-three 6th.

No title defence but much moaning from Xander

Xander Schauffele has been speaking after finishing his round, where he ended the tournament on one-under. “After kind of a decent round going, the goal was to try to backdoor a top-10,” Schauffele said. “I got greedy on 16, that one was on me. No mud on that ball unfortunately. Hit that in the water [from a fairway bunker]. Then 17 is a pretty ridiculous set-up today. That will be one to keep an eye on. You have, I don’t know, like a 10-foot window to land it to keep it somewhere like pin high.”

Scottie Scheffler is blowing hot and cold — one minute hitting a humdinger, the next scuffing a seemingly straightforward effort — but he can take comfort from the fact that his rivals are dropping shots, including playing partner Alex Noren. The super Swede, who shot a five-under-par round of 71 yesterday, has just bogeyed the par-three 4th.

Matt Fitzpatrick keeps shooting himself in the foot. He began with consecutive bogeys on par-fours but then immediately achieved successive birdies. He bogeyed the par-three 6th so has dropped to four-under-par.

Enter Davis Riley, who chips in brilliantly from the base of a lip outside the green to move to within four shots of Scheffler and back to a level-par round. The world No100 was tied for 13th here three years ago, but is now second through five holes. Game on.

Joaquin Niemann is still going great guns out there after 15 holes, with back-to-back birdies moving him to four-under for the day. If he makes par in each of the final three holes, he will match Friday’s best return of a round of 67. The only problem is that he has to take on the Green Mile, although he should not be deterred by that. On Thursday, he came out of that streak of holes one-under, but has been one-over after each attempt on Friday and Saturday. The 26-year-old’s best PGA Championship finish was tied for 23 three years ago. As of now, he is tied for sixth.

Everyone please give a round of applause to Harris English. He finished his week with his best round yet, five better than his Friday card of 70, to end tied for third on six-under-par. The world No34 hit seven birdies and now needs Scheffler and Noren’s form to drop off a cliff if the 35-year-old is to win a first major. Either way, English, who looks like Amercia’s response to Wallace from Wallace & Gromit, will have his best finish at the PGA Championship. His existing best came last year when he tied for 18th.

Spanish superstar Jon Rahm, whose best finish here was tied for fourth in 2018, is among the chasing pack, hunting down Scheffler. After the world No1’s start, Rahm might be smelling blood. He has made three pars on the spin, meaning the gap from him to Scheffler is four shots…but only for a moment! Scheffler has recovered brilliantly from heading into the woods. He cuts one from the rough wonderfully onto the green, and then holds his nerve to sink a long putt and somehow end up with a birdie. A birdie, after he was so deep in the woods that he probably could have seen Big Foot. Guess that’s why he’s world No1. Back to 11-under and a four-shot lead for Scheffler.

Beam me up (into the trees), Scottie

It is not the start that Scottie Scheffler would have wanted. The two-times Masters winner steps up to the plate and misses a par putt on the opening hole. Luckily for him, despite dropping to ten-under-par, his lead remains at three shots as his playing partner and nearest rival Alex Noren, who also makes a bogey on the first hole. That gap may reduce though, as Scheffler spanks one into the trees from his tee shot on the par-four 2nd.

Decent days for Griffin and English

World No58 Benjamin Griffin is tearing it up at the start of his fourth round. He has birdied four of his seven holes so far in this round without a bogey on any of them to move to six-under-par for the tournament. He is tied for fifth, five shots off compatriot Scheffler. Another man who is having an excellent day is Harris English (no, he isn’t English, he’s American). His six birdies have helped him to five-under but he still has the Green Mile to come.

Rory McIlroy’s 2025 PGA Championship campaign is over…and I’m sure he will be happy about it. The Masters championship nailed the Green Jacket but he could not master the Green Mile on this occasion, finishing one-over for the round, and three-over for the tournament — 14 shots behind Scottie Scheffler. He did not hang about once he finished as well, opting not to speak to the media and heading for the car park, where he did have a brief chingwag with Jon Rahm. McIlroy is next up at the Memorial Tournament, starting May 29. I’m assuming he’s off to put on his Green Jacket and watch Bridget Jones with some ice cream.

Burns and Schauffele all done

To this point, the best performer of the day has been Sam Burns. The American finishes four-under for the round – his best of the week – and two-under on the whole to leave him alongside some golfing chums in 26th. His playing partner, Xander Schauffele, did not have quite as great a day but, despite a double-bogey on the 16th, he enjoyed his best round of the tournament. Back in tied for 34th, Schauffele finished the Green Mile with a birdie, to take him to three-under for the day and a final score of one-under par.

The Scottish Warrior Robert MacIntyre is not having the best Sunday. The world No22 has completed eight front-nine holes so far and has come up with bogeys in four of them. He has missed three par putts from around eight feet but did just avoid the water on the par-five 7th and went on to birdie it. He is three-over-par for the day, one-over for the tournament, and back in joint-43rd.

We’re less than an hour from tournament leader Scottish Scheffler and Alex Noren getting their final round underway. Matt Fitzpatrick has just begun his round, alongside partner Matthieu Pavon. We’ve still got the likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Jhonattan Vegas and Jon Rahm to come.

Rick Broadbent, Charlotte

Sergio García has been talking after finishing at seven-over-par and the conversation quickly turned to the Ryder Cup. He is Europe’s record pointscorer, but if he is to get a surprise pick he needs to show form in the majors with the LIV circuit not getting ranking points. This was a big blow to that aim. “The way I’m playing, even if Luke offered me a pick right now, I would tell him no,” he said. “So obviously I need to get better. I need to get more where I was just before the Masters, just show myself and show everyone that my game is solid, and I can help Team Europe. It’s as simple as that.”

Shoutout to Joaquin Niemann, the world No87 from Chile who has landed an eagle (what a weekend for them…mainly at Wembley) at the par-five 7th to move to three-under for the day and the tournament, tying him for 18th place. His Friday round of 67 saved him from the cut after a really poor 74 on the opening day.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood have both made birdies. McIlroy putts from five feet on the par-five 15th to move to level par for the day, while Fleetwood moves to one-under for the round and to two-over altogether.

It’s been a thrilling tussle between Xander Schauffele and Sam Burns today. Great fun to watch. They cannot be separated at the 14th: both produce birdies to move to five-under for the day and three-under for the week. They both make par at the 15th as Schauffele pulls a putt just wide.

When your luck’s not in…

If McIlroy wasn’t tired and frustrated enough already, he will be now. His week was encapsulated on the 12th where a birdie putt missed but the smallest of margins when it seemed destined to drop in. Annoying. It happens again on the very next hole; a birdie putt swerved left. Irritating. Then on the 14th, McIlroy’s tee shot bounces into the water, resulting in a penalty drop. I would just walk to the clubhouse now.

Slurp slurp. It’s a good thing that Tommy Fleetwood is wearing a nautical-style striped top because the boy needs to get in the water. He is two-under for the round, thanks to an eagle on the par-five 7th, but has found the drink with an errant drive on the past four-14th. The 34-year-old, who is still chasing a first major win, is one-over-par for the tournament.

Who knew that “Max” was actually short for “Maximum Rage”. Max Homa, who was so back on Friday, is now so done on Sunday. How do we know this? Well, after a poor fairway shot, he lobs his club down the course and, at least internally, you imagine, is screaming. He’s had enough. He is only six holes in but is three-over-par for the day, largely thanks to a double-bogey on the par-four 3rd. D’oh!

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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceMcIlroy looks mentally drained

Rick Broadbent, Charlotte

Walking a few holes with Rory McIlroy and you can’t help thinking this must be hard. He came here after the most taxing, dramatic, draining major of his life, to a course he loves and has had four wins on, and has never been in it. It all feels decidedly flat. He looks like a man who would happily call it a day. He is tied for 54. Plenty of others are feeling the same way. Max Homa has been open about the mental struggles he has faced and was thrilled after his round of 64 on Friday. He is now eight-over for his past 16 holes. Cruel game.

Stick a fork in García…he’s done

In 1999, Sergio García finished second at the PGA Championship. He also finished runner-up in 2008. He has never performed better at the tournament than that. This year, the Spaniard has performed much worse than that…almost as bad as his outfit choice for his time in Charlotte. García is now back in the clubhouse after finishing his round. He made six birdies today, but also racked up a couple of bogeys and one double-bogey for a two-under round of 69, which leaves him tied in 69th on seven-over for the tournament.

Shall we have a natter about Sam Burns? He may be the most generic-looking man on the planet, but the 28-year-old American is having a wonderful time today and is easily on course for his best round of the tournament. After ten holes, he has just one bogey to his name, but that is overpowered by three birdies and one eagle to take his score to four-under for the day. He is two-under-par altogether. He is tied for 23rd.

Curses Rory. He is so close to landing a 42-yard putt that would have given him a birdie on the par-four 9th. It’s good, it’s good but then it just skims the edge and the Northern Irishman is forced to settle for a lousy par. Halfway through his final round, McIlroy is level par for the day, two-over for the competition…just the 13 shots behind Scheffler. It would require a miracle…and Scheffler to make me play his final round for him – spoiler alert, I’m garbage.

We are still a few hours away from seeing him but Scottie Scheffler is in the house. All rise for the world No1 and the tournament leader. He has a three-shot lead, which has been good enough for ten of the past 11 people to boast that advantage heading into the final day to go on and win it. The two-times Masters winner has never triumphed at the PGA Championship, coming closest when tied for second in 2023.

Ryder Cup form watch is no pretty sight

Rick Broadbent in Charlotte

It’s fair to say plenty of those who will make up the Ryder Cup teams this year are not exactly tearing it up. Of the 12 players currently in the automatic qualifying places, six apiece, only Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau have lived up to expectations. Justin Thomas, Russell Henley, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Justin Rose all missed the cut and after three rounds Tyrrell Hatton was the only other player to be in the top 50.

At least the captains have led the way. Keegan Bradley starts today tied for eighth while none of Europe’s six qualifiers, as things stand, have been able to outdo Luke Donald.

And it’s a first of the afternoon for the Northern Irishman, who caps off a lovely approach with a putt from about five feet to go back to three over. Six holes down for him so far.

A look around the course…

So who else is out there? Luke Donald, the Europe Ryder Cup captain who shone so magnificently on day one, is even thru one, while Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa are even and one under respectively further through their rounds. Coming up, there’s English interest in Aaron Rai, who tees off at 4pm, and Tyrrell Hatton, at 4.30pm.

McIlroy continues to struggle

A second bogey of the round for McIlroy as he misses another putt for par, dropping to two over thru three holes and four over for the tournament. A tough week all in all for the Masters champion.

He’s out there! A long tee shot on the par-four 1st for McIlroy is a good sign but his second shot is in the bunker and then a putt for par is awry too. So it’s an opening bogey to start the round.

Rory McIlroy was scheduled to tee off at about 2.50pm BST though there is still no sign of him quite yet, with Xander Schauffle in the group ahead now out on the 1st. So not long to wait. Of those out there, the pick in terms of form is Sergio Garcia, with the 2017 Masters champion three under par thru eight.

Can anyone catch Scheffler?

Rick Broadbent in Charlotte

Can Scottie Scheffler lose from here? Of course, he can. This is golf. The chances of it happening may be the slim side of wafer-thin, but the rest will live in hope. Matt Fitzpatrick summed up the philosophical mood of the chasers by saying he needed to make every putt he gets today. Then he added the caveat: “I don’t see Scottie bobbling it.”

Among his many qualities, Scheffler is a good front-runner and has converted his past seven 54-hole leads into victories. Another stat — since 1995, seven out of 16 players have failed to win a major after being three strokes clear heading into Sunday. The most recent was Mito Pereira at the US PGA in 2022.

Rick Broadbent in Charlotte

One year ago Scottie Scheffler was at the centre of an unexpected storm after his arrest for driving away from a police officer outside the US PGA Championship. Fast forward and he is making more serene progress through this one.

The world No1’s third-round score of 65 meant he finished out in front at 11 under par, three clear of Alex Noren. If the veteran Swede’s rise was a nice surprise, Scheffler’s ascent was crushingly predictable for all-comers. The closing triptych here is known as the “Green Mile” and provides tests and provokes trepidation. For Scheffler it was as troublesome as a stroll along the prom. He gained five shots in five holes, and given the nearest major winner, Jon Rahm, is five behind, starts Sunday in apparent control.

If Noren chases him down it will be spectacular given his recent history. The 42-year-old had a fine round of 66 and, in truth, it defied common sense. Noren has been weighed down with injuries in recent times and his main sporting activity of late has been coaching his daughter’s softball team. Indeed, this was only his second tournament in seven months. “I couldn’t swing a club and I couldn’t jump or run,” he said. “I could walk slowly and I could coach my kids.”

• Rick Broadbent: Scheffler takes control as big guns start to fire

Hello and welcome to The Times’ coverage of the final day of the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. In a tournament of constant surprises, from increment weather to mud balls, surprise leaders and even visits from local snakes, it’s Scottie Scheffler who has put a more regular and expected face on this tournament. The world No1 holds a three-stroke lead over Alex Noren, while Jon Rahm of Spain, Matt Fitzpatrick and Bryson DeChambeau are all in the top ten.

Stay with us for updates from Rick Broadbent, live from the course in Charlotte.