Rory McIlroy surges into PGA Championship contention with a 66 at Aronimink

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — Rory McIlroy smashed his drive on the 397-yard sixth hole and landed a beauty on the green to the delight of a roaring Aronimink crowd.

He made a birdie and kept a second straight major victory firmly in sight on a day in which several players made big moves up the leaderboard in more favorable conditions.

The pin placements, the course, nothing bothered McIlroy at Aronimink as he charged back from 105th at the end of Round 1 of the PGA Championship all the way to a share of the lead until he bogeyed 17, finishing at 3 under Saturday, a day after he complained about the setup at Aronimink Golf Club.

"I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow," McIlroy said.

Who would count out McIlroy?

He won the Masters and is trying to join Ben Hogan (1953), Arnold Palmer (1960), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tiger Woods (2002) and Jordan Spieth (2015) as the only players to win the first two majors of the year in the modern rotation.

The No. 2 player in the world, McIlroy was buried on the leaderboard Thursday after he shot a 74. Only four players in history have ever won a major championship after being 50th or worse at the end of the first round.

His Round 3 was a different story. He had six birdies, 10 pars and two bogeys and shot 66.

“I’ve climbed my way out of that hole a little bit, which is, I’m proud of myself for doing that, but there’s one more day left, and I feel like I’m — again, if I can — depending on what the guys do, be close enough to the lead, I feel like I’ve still got a good chance,” McIlroy said.

Two long days at Aronimink produced the highest 36-hole score to par to lead the PGA Championship in 14 years. The 15 players separated by two shots made it the biggest logjam going into a weekend at a major since 2002. At one point Saturday afternoon, there were 28 players separated by two shots.

McIlroy griped about the setup at Aronimink one day earlier. He cushioned his criticism a bit on Saturday.

McIlroy might be angling for his next job as much as he is trying to win his next major. McIlroy, the only European with the career Grand Slam, noted last year he would unwind from a round by watching “The Devil Wears Prada.” That caught the attention of the filmmakers and earned him an invite to cameo in the sequel.

His Saturday night plan?

To watch the thrilling conclusion of the Batman movie, “The Dark Knight.”

Justin Thomas, the PGA winner in 2017 and 2022, grabbed a share of the lead at 4 under with a birdie on the sixth hole.

He followed with four straight bogeys to drop off the leaderboard and would up tied for 31st.

Other players who lost ground to the field included top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth and Cam Young.

Scheffler followed an opening 3-under 67 with consecutive rounds of 1 over and was at 2-over par for the championship. He dropped 14 places and slipped into a tie for 23rd.

Spieth, needing a PGA victory complete the career Grand Slam, had an even-par 70, tumbling 14 spots on the leaderboard and needing a big day on his 10th attempt to secure his missing major.

Young, a winner this season at The Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship, started the third round at 1 under and was at even-par 210, slipping 22 spots and heading into the final round in a 10-way tie for 31st in the pursuit of his first major victory.

The wind, cold and rain of the first two rounds largely gave way to warmer weather that may have helped with all the birdies.

Chris Kirk had eight — including five birdies in six holes on the front nine — on his way to a 65 and Michael Kim birdied six of his first seven holes. Justin Rose, who won at Aronimink in the 2010 AT&T National, shot a 5-under 65 to move up the leaderboard and well within striking distance of the lead.

Rose noted subtle differences in the course from one day earlier when he shot a 73 and was in jeopardy of missing the cut before holing out on 18 to make an eagle.

He said the pins were “just a bit more predictable.”

“I’ve heard Scottie say it’s probably the hardest set of pins he’d seen," Rose said. "That didn’t strike me as that being the case, but yeah, when you think about it, they were incredibly challenging.”

AP Sports Writer Bob Lentz contributed to this report.

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Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after his shot on the 18th green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, left, greets Brooks Koepka after they finished their round during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, lines up his shot on the 16th green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the 13th fairway during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Fans watch on the seventh hole during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Maverick McNealy hits from the first fairway during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Alex Smalley lines up his putt on the 17th green during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Michael Kim, of South Korea, hits from the 18th tee during first round of the Truist Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)d

Michael Kim, of South Korea, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament practice round at Aronimink Golf Club, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) — A 30-year-old man from Sudan appeared in a Belfast court Wednesday charged with attempted murder over a stabbing attack that left a man seriously injured and triggered anti-immigrant violence in several parts of Northern Ireland.

Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered held in jail after an appearance by video in Belfast Magistrates’ Court, where a detective said he blinded Stephen Ogilvie in the left eye during the knife attack. He was also charged with possessing a knife and threatening to kill a radiographer while being treated for a hand injury after the assault.

When police arrived at the crime scene, they found Alodid on the man, armed with a kitchen knife, the detective said. Alodid later told hospital staff: “I’ve killed someone, I don’t know if they are dead,” and said, “I will kill you."

He refused legal representation through an Arabic interpreter and did not enter a plea.

The court appearance followed a night of violence in which masked men set fire to several homes they believed to house immigrants, burned trash bins, torched a Belfast bus and pelted police with objects. Firefighters rescued several people from burning homes.

Anselme Shima, a Belfast resident originally from Congo, said he saw smoke from burning vehicles near his home.

“I’ve lived on my street for almost 10 years, I have a good relationship with my neighbors, but last night was a horrific one,” he said. “We don’t know what to do. I’m scared. Seeing this, I’m wondering if I’m next.”

Families, one with a baby, were rescued and taken to police stations for safety, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher told the BBC.

“These weren’t just families from ethnic minority communities, these were families from across communities that were caught up in this vile behavior last night," Boutcher said. “There is absolutely no excuse for it.”

Politicians from both parts of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government condemned the violence. First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said it was “thuggery.”

“Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,” she said.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, said that “taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.”

Monday’s attack, caught in video footage that quickly spread on social media, was seized on by anti-immigration activists. Ogilvie, a man in his 40s, was hospitalized with deep cuts to his head, face and back.

Police said Alodid entered Northern Ireland from the neighboring Republic of Ireland in 2023, applied for asylum and was given a 5-year permit to remain.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said there is no information to suggest the attack was terrorism-related and they were not seeking other suspects.

The street violence erupted despite politicians' calls for calm.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the stabbing attack as “sickening,” but said violence against people based on their background would not be tolerated.

“The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable," Starmer said on X. “There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere. It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it."

Protests were encouraged online by far-right activists.

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said social media agitators who “yesterday would have struggled to find Belfast on a map” were “weaponizing” the fears of local people.

“If you’re driving people from their homes based on nothing but the color of their skin, you can’t dress that up any other way, it’s racism, and those bad faith actors need to take a step back,” she told the BBC.

Some politicians said the stabbing should spark a review of the open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland.

The border is a highly sensitive issue. Allowing the free flow of people is a major pillar of the peace process that largely ended decades of violence known as “The Troubles.” The conflict involving Irish Republican and British Loyalist militants and U.K. security forces left almost 3,600 people dead before a 1998 peace accord.

Much of Tuesday’s violence took place in working-class areas where former paramilitary groups still hold considerable sway over the streets.

Last week a separate case of a university student who was stabbed to death in Southampton, England, in December was seized on by activists and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who blamed immigration for the violence. Some British politicians objected to that.

Henry Nowak, who was white, was killed by Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh who falsely claimed to police that he was the victim of a racist assault by Nowak. When police officers arrived, they initially treated the wounded Nowak as a suspect before noticing his injury and trying to resuscitate him.

Digwa was convicted of murder for stabbing Nowak with a Sikh dagger and sentenced last week to life in prison with a minimum 21-year term. The case has spurred heated debates about policing and race, and a protest over Nowak’s death turned violent, with some attacking police with chairs and rocks. Several people were charged with violent disorder.

Lawless reported from London.

People watch as firemen arrive to put out vehicle that was set alight during a protest in East Belfast following a stabbing incident in Belfast, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

This is a court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of Sudanese national Hadi Alodid, 30 appearing via videolink at Belfast Magistrates Court, Belfast, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, after a stabbing attack. (Elizabeth Cook/PA via AP)

A worker clear up the debris in front of a burnt out bus, after rioting broke out late Tuesday, in east Belfast, Northern Ireland, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, following a stabbing incident. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

A woman walks past burnt out houses after rioting broke out late Tuesday, in east Belfast, Northern Ireland, Wednesday, June 10, 2026, following a stabbing incident. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

People watch as a vehicle burns during a protest following a stabbing incident in North Belfast, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

A building is set light to by protesters in central Belfast following a stabbing incident in Belfast, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Masked protesters stand by burning trash containers on Ligoniel Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, after the arrest of a Sudanese man accused of stabbing a man in the northern part of the city. (PA via AP)

Police vehicles come under attack from protesters following a stabbing incident in Belfast, Tuesday, June 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Vehicles set on fire by protesters burn on Lendrick Street in east Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, after the arrest of a Sudanese man accused of stabbing a man in the northern part of the city. (PA via AP)