ST. LOUIS -- Brooks Koepka threatened to run away and hide in Round 3 of the 2018 PGA Championship before a pair of bogeys late in the day brought the field back into play. He'll take a two-stroke lead into the final day at Bellerive, but there's a whole host of golfers who could run him down with big final rounds.
"With so many big names, you would expect two or three of them to really make a run, make a push to get off to a good start and challenge me," said Koepka. "Everybody out here is so good, and you look at this leaderboard ... they are names that I've grown up watching that everybody else loves to watch play, and it should be an exciting day tomorrow."
Let's get to who I think can run down Koepka (-12) as he chases his third major, in order of most to least likely.
1. Rickie Fowler (-9): Fowler had a real opportunity to position himself nicely to duel with Koepka on Sunday, but a 1-under 69 left him wanting a little bit. Still, he hasn't putted well at all this week. If -- and I know this is a big if -- the putter catches fire, I could see a 2015 Players Championship redux.
2. Justin Thomas (-8): A bogey at the last kept him out of one of the final few pairings. He, like Fowler, has not putted at all this week. That seems like a dumb reason to like somebody, but I get concerned when golfers' rounds are propped up by hot putting. I like picking players who haven't made anything and are putting worse than normal.
3. Jon Rahm (-9): For a while there I forgot he was even playing in the golf tournament. All of a sudden he's in the penultimate pairing. Rahm shot a 32 on the back with two birdies in his last three holes, and this course seems like it was built specifically for him to tear it down.
4. Adam Scott (-10): I should be concerned about this, right?
Adam Scott doesn't have a top-5 worldwide in nearly 2 years.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) August 11, 2018
5. Jason Day (-8): Just like Rahm, this seems like a course where he would find success. He's a lurker, certainly, and I could see a 65 from him tomorrow to get to 13 under and make the top guys at least think about it a little bit.
6. Tiger Woods (-8): He's T73 in Round 4 scoring average, and playing 29 holes in the heaviest heat on Saturday probably isn't going to help things. Still, there's hope for something magical.
This will be the 3rd time this season Tiger is within 4 of the lead entering the final round. The previous 2 instances he had a putt to force a playoff (Valspar) and led on the 11th hole (The Open).
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) August 12, 2018
7. Gary Woodland (-9): It nearly came completely unwound late on Saturday, but he hung on. Tough to see him topping this who's who list. Maybe if he was in Koepka's position with a two-stroke lead but not from three down with thoroughbreds in every direction.
8. Charl Schwartzel (-8): He was 8 under and four down with 18 to go when he won his only other major, the 2011 Masters. He only had one guy in front of him that year, though. And that one guy shot 80.
9. Shane Lowry (-8): He laid out the game plan for the field. "If I can shoot mid-60s tomorrow, like 4 or 5 under tomorrow, that's definitely what I need, but maybe more. Like, Brooks can go out and shoot 5 under, and that's the end of the rest of us." He's right. Koepka can end it all even with another 30 on the front. Guys will start dropping like flies as they go for broke.
10. Stewart Cink (-8): He the ball like a boss on Saturday, but I don't really think Stewart Cink is going to win the 2018 PGA Championship. Can you imagine if he beat Woods in a playoff, though, and spoiled what could have been the two coolest major winners of the last 10 years? That would be a surreal end to what has turned into a really fun week.