Rory McIlroy charges up PGA Championship leaderboard with impressive third round

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.— Rory has come roaring back.Rory McIlroy, the 37-year-old from Northern Ireland, was tied for 105th after shooting a 4-over-par 74 in Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.After shooting a 4-under-par 66 in Saturday’s third round, McIlroy stood at 3-under for the tournament and was in a tie for third, one shot back, when he completed his round.McIlroy, who’s a month removed from winning his second consecutive Masters and is ranked No.

2 in the world, got off to a hot start, shooting 32 on the front nine.When he birdied the 13th hole, he got to 4-under for the tournament and was in a tie for the lead.McIlroy, who was one of only two players to post a bogey-free round on Friday en route to a 3-under 67, had one blemish on the back nine, a bogey on 17.He rebounded with a top-class up-and-down for par on 18 after a chip from the front of the undulating green.McIlroy is trending.He’s gone 74, 67 and 66.

He took 34 putts in Thursday’s opening round, 30 on Friday and needed only 27 on Saturday.In the six major championships McIlroy has won in his career, he entered the final round with at least a share of the lead.When he walked off the course shortly after 3 p.m.Saturday with many of the top players still on the course, he was one shot off the lead.“I felt like I had a chance to do this,’’ he said after the round.

“I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into [Sunday]’’McIlroy lamented his “really bad finish on Thursday,’’ adding, “But at the end of the day, I was only seven back.I thought back to last year’s Masters.

I was seven back after the first day, and I was two ahead going into the final day. “So, there’s a lot of golf and a lot of things can happen during the course of a golf tournament.I’ve progressively just got a little bit closer to the lead each day.

We’ll see what happens.“I’ve climbed my way out of that hole a little bit.I’m pr...