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Pereira leads after Round 3 of PGA Championship

Sam Greenwood / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Mito Pereira shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday at Southern Hills to lead the PGA Championship at 9-under following the third round.

Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick are three strokes back at 6-under, while Cameron Young and Abraham Ancer round out the top five at 5-under and 4-under, respectively.

PLACE PLAYER ROUND 2 SCORE TOTAL TO PAR
1 Mito Pereira 69 -9
T2 Matt Fitzpatrick 67 -6
T2 Will Zalatoris 73 -6
4 Cameron Young 67 -5
5 Abraham Ancer 70 -4
6 Seamus Power 67 -3
T7 Stewart Cink 71 -2
T7 Justin Thomas 74 -2
T7 Bubba Watson 73 -2

All players inside the top four heading into Sunday's final round are not only looking for their first major win but their first TOUR win. Fitzpatrick, who splits his time between the PGA and DP World Tour, has seven wins on the latter.

Fitzpatrick and Pereira are the only two players to post each round under par through 54-holes at the PGA Championship this year.

Pereira shot rounds of 68 and 64 and was one shot back of Zalatoris heading into Saturday.

The 27-year-old Chilean is in his rookie season on TOUR after being instantly promoted in June 2021 following his third Korn Ferry Tour win of the campaign. He's just the 12th player to be promoted under the three-victory promotion rule.

It's Pereira's first time competing in the PGA Championship and only his second time in a major. He previously played in the 2019 U.S. Open where he missed the cut.

"If you play really good golf during the week, you're going to win," said Pereira following his round, according to ASAP Sports. "Doesn't matter your first time or your 10th time, if you play really, really well you're going to have chances."

Webb Simpson had the lowest round Saturday with a 5-under 65. The 36-year-old made the cut on the number Friday to make it to the weekend. He'll start the final round eight strokes back at 1-under.

Tiger Woods, in just his second official tournament since his car accident in February 2021, shot a 9-over 79 on Saturday. The 46-year-old withdrew following the round.

Pereira will tee off alongside Fitzpatrick in the final group Sunday at 2:35 p.m. ET.

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