Aaron Rai Golf: Rai Saves Par at No. 14, Stays at 5 Under

aaron rai golf stayed alive late Saturday when Aaron Rai overcooked his birdie putt on No. 14, then sank the par putt and held at 5 under in the third round of the 2026 PGA Championship. That kept him in the chase at Aronimink with 10 players still within two shots of the lead.

Rai Holds at 5 Under

The par save came after the birdie try ran too far, but the recovery mattered more than the miss. Rai did not lose ground on a hole where a dropped shot would have made the final stretch even tighter, and he moved on with his score unchanged at 5 under.

Alex Smalley led by two strokes after 54 holes, while a five-way tie for second sat at 4 under. Rai was part of the group trying to keep pace behind him as the third round wound down.

Aronimink Leaderboard Pressure

The board stayed compressed behind the leader. Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele both shot 66 to move to 3 under, and Scottie Scheffler was five shots behind the leader after more putting woes.

Justin Thomas had been in a share of the lead before falling back. His slide started when he missed the green with his approach at the 10th hole, then left a 16-foot par putt short after a pitch that did not reach far enough. He then ran into four bogeys in a row.

Major Championship Crowds

The numbers behind the leaderboard were notable beyond this week. The record for the most players within two shots of the lead entering the final round of a major championship is 19, set at the 2001 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The PGA Championship mark is 11, set in 1993 at Inverness Club.

That left Rai in a real position, not a placeholder on the board. With 10 players still packed within two shots and Smalley only two clear, every save mattered, and Rai’s putt on No. 14 kept him in the window for the final round.