DeChambeau 'behind the 8-ball,' sits 6 back at PGA Championship - ESPN

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Standing on the 16th tee box at Quail Hollow Club on Saturday, LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau had the outright lead in the PGA Championship.

DeChambeau had just made a birdie on the par-5 15th, his fifth of the round, to get to 8 under. He was one stroke ahead of Davis Riley and Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas, the unlikely leader in each of the first two rounds.

«I was pumped,» DeChambeau said. «I was like, 'All right, in the lead. Let's go. Let's keep pressing.'»

Unfortunately for DeChambeau, he still had to play the «Green Mile,» Quail Hollow's famous three-hole closing stretch.

He didn't have the lead for long.

On the par-4 16th, DeChambeau hit his 375-yard drive into the right rough. His second shot from 142 yards stopped on the fringe of the green. He chipped to about 6 feet, then hit his par putt too hard. The ball lipped out, leaving him with a bogey that dropped him to 7 under.

Then, on the par-3 17th, DeChambeau's tee shot from 187 yards wasn't long enough and went into the lake in front of the green. After a drop, he hit his third shot to 23 feet. He two-putted for a double-bogey 5.

«Hit a great 9-iron exactly the way I wanted to,» DeChambeau said. «The wind just pumped it. Nothing I can do. Wind flipped from being neutral off the right like it was on 4, I believe, and it just was almost straight in and we misjudged that.»

With a par on the 18th, DeChambeau posted a 2-under 69. He was tied for eighth at 5 under after 54 holes, six strokes behind world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler, who seemed to take control of the tournament with a 6-under 65 on Saturday.

«All I can do is control what I can control, and if I go out and shoot 6, 7 under, that's what I'm focused on doing,» DeChambeau