Koepka takes record seven lead in US PGA Championship final round

Brooks Koepka had a fairly mixed round after placing a 36-hole big record during the first two rounds

Brooks Koepka continues a record of seven shots that are ready in the final round of the US PGA Championship while he tries his title defend on Sunday

Starting at 12 under, the American showed the first signs of vulnerability during a similar third round of 70, but his rivals could not win ground.

World number one Dustin Johnson (69) is one of four for the second, Jordan Spieth (72) slipped to three.

The English Matt Wallace shot a 70 and is the leading European on four under.

Compatriots Justin Rose (73) and Tommy Fleetwood (72) deteriorated on Bethpage & # 39; s Black Course in the state of New York, with Wallace the only European in the top 14.

As the big winners of the title struggled to take advantage, Johnson came in five among relatively unknown Americans Harold Varner III (67) and Luke List (69) and Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond (67).

Australian Adam Scott (72) was another falter after he and Spieth, pursuing a career behind Grand Slam, started the Saturday joint round at five under.

Earlier, Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy scored his first substandard round with a 69, two of which are left.

Brooks Koepka (right) laughs after birdie on the 13th with a 16-foot putt despite finding the rough one twice

Koepka's smile at 13 tells his own story

Koepka, who tries to win a fourth major after also winning the 2017 and 2018 US Opens, had looked unbeatable during the first two rounds, but in glorious sunlight on the Long Island course, its infallible accuracy began to slip.

28 holes taken to register his first bogey, he threw two at the trot on the ninth and tenth hole.

That coincided with world number 76. List that built up a challenge with three consecutive birdies on the back nine to fall seven and reduce Koepka's # 39; s lead to five.

Johnson, the 2016 US Open champion, also reached seven under after four birdies on his first opening nine holes.

But by the time of Koepka & # 39; s wiggling, he had already shot birdie putts on the second and fifth holes, and when he drained another one on the 13th, a broad smile broke out over the otherwise stern-looking 29 -year-old face

Those four in the par-five came after a wild tee-shot and a second that seemed rough. But he threw a wedge within 16 feet before showing that his touch on the greens had not left him, and it would still require a huge effort from his rivals to catch him.

Koepka's seven-shot lead is a record after 54 holes of the American PGA Championship, and no golfer in the great championship history has failed to win after having such a margin.

The leader can also be well helped by Johnson & # 39; s bogey on the latter, meaning the 34-year-old will not be in the last pairing on Sunday.

Instead, Koepka will be accompanied by world number 174 Varner III, who participates in his fifth major and has a best finish of the joint 66th at the 2016 Open Championship.

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