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.
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Brooks Koepka chips to the green on the sixth 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)
Dustin Johnson hits from the fourth tee 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)
Jordan Spieth 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)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the fourth tee 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)
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.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Brooks Koepka chips to the green on the sixth 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)
Dustin Johnson hits from the fourth tee 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)
Jordan Spieth 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)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the fourth tee 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)
ROME (AP) — Elina Svitolina claimed a third Italian Open title on Saturday by beating Coco Gauff, who lost in the final in Rome for the second straight year.
In the men’s final on Sunday, home favorite Jannik Sinner will face Casper Ruud.
Svitolina took nearly three hours to prevail 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 and win her first WTA 1000 title since lifting the title in Rome in 2018. The Ukrainian also won in 2017.
“It’s very hard to believe that it’s been eight years when I had this trophy here and very, very, very pleased of course with the two weeks here," Svitolina said on court after her 20th career title.
“I told my coach that it would be nice before I finish my career to have a round number. So he told me that hopefully we’re going to get this this year. So, I’m very, very happy.”
Gauff, who was hoping to become the first American to win in Rome since 2016, lost to Jasmine Paolini last year but went on to win the French Open.
“It’s been a great two weeks ... and I definitely feel the momentum going into the French Open," she said. "A lot of lessons learned from this match.”
Gauff started brilliantly, breaking Svitolina and holding to love. She also had the chance to go 5-2 up but Svitolina fended off three break points and won four straight games to take the opener.
The third-ranked Gauff struggled on her serve throughout the second set but managed to take it to a tiebreak and level the match.
However, Svitolina dominated the decider and broke Gauff’s serve twice to leave her serving for the title. The seventh-ranked Svitolina sealed the result on her third match point with a volley at the net.
Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 when their rain-delayed semifinal resumed on Saturday and is one victory away from becoming only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic has won each Masters tournament at least twice.
The top-ranked Sinner led 4-2 in the third set when the match was suspended late Friday. The Italian finished off the match in 15 minutes on Saturday, sealing it on his third match point after Medvedev fended off two on his serve.
“It was a very different challenge and a tough challenge,” Sinner said. “Usually, during the night, I don’t struggle to sleep but this time it was not easy.
"You are in the third set, nearly done, but you still have to show up again and you never know what is happening. It is like the start of the match as there are nerves again. I am very happy with how I handled this situation and that I am back in the final.”
Earlier Friday on the red clay of the Foro Italico, Ruud routed home player Luciano Darderi 6-1, 6-1.
Sinner is also attempting to become the first Italian man to raise the Rome trophy since Adriano Panatta in 1976. Panatta will present the trophy on Sunday, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella also slated to attend the men's final.
After winning the first set easily on Friday, Sinner appeared fatigued as Medvedev stepped up his game and started running him around the court with drop shots and groundstrokes to the corners.
After several points Sinner bent over in apparent exhaustion and leaned on his racket for support. Sinner had his right thigh treated by a trainer midway through the second set.
Sinner came back from a 3-0 deficit only to be broken again in the 12th game and concede the set to Medvedev.
A bad bounce helped Sinner break Medvedev early in the third and take control for good.
Sinner has won all four of his career meetings with Ruud without dropping a set — including a 6-0, 6-1 rout in the Rome quarterfinals last year.
“Jannik is chasing history,” Ruud said. “I have to be the guy to try to stop him, and it will not be easy playing here in his home country. ... Last year, he really (routed me) here on the same court, so of course I’m looking for revenge. But at the same time I realize that he’s an incredible player and a unique talent.”
Sinner lost last year’s final to Carlos Alcaraz, who is sidelined due to a right wrist injury. Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to raise the trophy in 40 years.
Sinner hasn’t lost since Feb. 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals. He has won 28 straight matches and a record five successive Masters titles. He could become the second man to win all three Masters tournaments on clay — including Monte Carlo and Madrid — in the same season after Rafael Nadal in 2010.
After Rome for Sinner is the French Open, the only Grand Slam event he hasn’t won. The titleholder, Alcaraz, will also miss it.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
United States' Coco Gauff grimaces after missing a point as she plays against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina during their women's final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina celebrates a winning point as she plays against United States' Coco Gauff during their women's final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
United States' Coco Gauff reacts after loosing against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina at the end of the women's final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina celebrates after winning against United States' Coco Gauff at the end of the women's final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Italy's Jannik Sinner cheer with Daniil Medvedev of Russia after winning their semifinal match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during their semifinal match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Daniil Medvedev of Russia returns a ball to Italy's Jannik Sinner during their semifinal match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Italy's Jannik Sinner receives medical treatment during a medical timeout during the semifinal match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Friday, May 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini))
Italy's Jannik Sinner returns a ball to Daniil Medvedev of Russia during their semifinal match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning against Daniil Medvedev of Russia during their semifinal match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
