McIlroy-Koepka, Spieth-Johnson pairings highlight early starters in Round 3 of the PGA Championship

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NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — The marquee pairings of Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, and Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka provided plenty of early star power Saturday at the 108th PGA Championship.

The Spieth-Johnson and McIlroy-Koepka groupings have 16 major championships combined. But, those titles meant little after uneven opening rounds left the star twosomes off the pace and with tee times four hours before unlikely second-round leaders Alex Smalley and Maverick McNealy.

The standout pairings drew large galleries on every hole at crowded Aronimink on a warm, sunny day in the Philly suburbs.

McIlroy sped up the leaderboard after playing the front nine in 4 under and adding birdies at Nos. 11 and 13. But, he made bogey at the par-3 17th on the way to a 66 and 4-under total heading into the final round.

Koepka's 2-under 68 left him at 1 under. Johnson got to even for the championship with a 2-under 68 and Spieth posted an even-par round and was at 1 over.

This PGA carried a different meaning and levels of importance for each of the players.

Spieth needs a PGA Championship win to complete the career Grand Slam after major victories at The Masters (2015), U.S. Open (2015) and British Open (2017).

Johnson, whose five-year exemptions into the event after winning the 2016 U.S. Open and 2020 Masters expired, has struggled the past two seasons after a fast start with LIV in 2022-23 and received a special invitation to Aronimink.

Koepka, a five-time major champ, is searching for his fourth PGA title to go along with consecutive U.S. Open wins in 2017-18.

McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam with the first of two straight Masters victories in 2025, is out to add another PGA to his 2012 and 2014 title.

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