With a win on Sunday at the 2012 PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy will become the third-youngest player in golf’s modern era to have two major championships. McIlroy held a three-shot lead over the field at the start of the final round on Sunday afternoon, and the chasers had to hope the sweet-swinging Northern Irishman missed the birdie opportunities on the first four holes at Pete Dye’s Ocean Course.
PGA Championship Leaderboard 2012: Rory McIlroy Starts With 2 Birdies, Holding Off Ian Poulter
Unfortunately for the field, McIlroy did not oblige, carding red numbers at the second and third holes. The par-5 second was a particularly brilliant birdie “save” after his second shot sailed completely off the grid. He immediately backed that up with a birdie at the short par-4 third to move to 9-under.
Tiger Woods, meanwhile, is six shots back with 13 holes left to play. He now enters a very difficult eight-hole stretch that will also play with a steady left-to-right wind. Woods has insisted on hitting a cut shot, which, combined with the wind direction, could make this stretch particularly difficult to make a run at Rory.
The one big mover on Sunday afternoon is Ian Poulter, who came out of the gate absolutely on fire with his putter. He drained everything on his way to five straight birdies to open the round. After a ho-hum par at the sixth, he added another red number on No. 7 to move to 7-under and two shots back of the leader McIlroy. The two Euros could make this a two-horse race down the stretch.
For a live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For news and updates throughout the week at the PGA Championship, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all your golf news as the playoffs approach, visit SB Nation’s golf hub.
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