When you watch protection of the 107th PGA Championship over the subsequent few days, you would possibly hear commentators point out the time period ‘Shifting Day’.
Right here at SportsLens, we’re readily available to clarify all the pieces there may be to learn about ‘Shifting Day’ and what it means in golf circles, together with at main tournaments such because the PGA Championship.
What Is ‘Shifting Day’ In Golf?
When you’re a golf fan tuning in to a match and listen to somebody point out ‘Shifting Day’, you may not know precisely what this implies. Because of this we’re readily available to clarify what the time period means in golf circles and the way essential it’s in main championship occasions.
Briefly, ‘Shifting Day’ is one other title given to the third spherical of a golf match. This sometimes falls on a Saturday and is a time period you’ll in all probability hear within the largest main tournaments akin to The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship.
In relation to skilled PGA Tour tournaments, LIV Golf occasions or DP World Tour occasions, ‘Shifting Day’ could be important within the ultimate consequence of a match. Extra on that later.
Why Do Individuals Name Name Saturday At Main Championship ‘Shifting Day’?
Now that we’ve outlined precisely what ‘Shifting Day’ is in golf, you is perhaps questioning the place the time period truly comes from and why folks name Spherical 3 at a serious championship ‘Shifting Day’.
The third spherical at a serious championship usually offers a few of the most fun motion throughout the PGA Championship as an entire.
Golf commentators name Saturday at a serious match ‘Shifting Day’ as it’s the day the place golfers usually make their transfer up and down the rankings most prominently.
Capturing a low rating on shifting day will set gamers up completely for the ultimate spherical on Sunday, giving them an opportunity to win the match. Within the case of the PGA Championship, an enormous ‘Shifting Day’ efficiency may go a great distance in serving to a participant go on to carry the coveted Wanamaker Trophy.
Typically there are numerous completely different approaches taken to ‘Shifting Day’. Among the leaders from the primary two rounds would possibly exit hoping to consolidate their place on ‘Shifting Day’, with others taking part in a far riskier recreation.
If a participant wants an enormous third spherical to deliver themselves into competition on Sunday, they may climb the leaderboard considerably with a stellar ‘Shifting Day’ spherical after a sluggish begin over the primary two days.
Nonetheless, this will usually go the opposite method too. Some gamers would possibly fall out of competition after a powerful begin on Thursday and Friday, with ‘Shifting Day’ proving their downfall. This has actually occurred earlier than.
How Important Is ‘Shifting Day’ To The Ultimate Final result?
On the PGA Championship, six of the final 10 years has seen a golfer go on to carry the Wanamaker Trophy who didn’t sit on the high of the leaderboard after two rounds of main motion.
One other method of taking a look at that is that six of the final 10 PGA Championship victors made their transfer on ‘Shifting Day’ to go on and win the match.
The one 4 gamers who sat on the high of the PGA Championship leaderboard after two rounds and went on to win the general occasion had been Xander Schauffele final yr, Phil Mickelson in 2021, Brooks Koepka in 2019 and Jimmy Walker in 2016.
Wanting on the statistics of gamers who sat high of the leaderboard after ‘Shifting Day’ is a distinct story. Of the final 10 gamers who had been high of the pile after ‘Shifting Day’, seven of them went on to win the PGA Championship.
The one gamers who led after three rounds on the PGA Championship within the final 10 years however didn’t go on to win the Wanamaker Trophy had been Kevin Kisner in 2017, Dustin Johnson in 2020 and Mito Pereira in 2022.
Greatest ‘Shifting Day’ Performances In The Final 10 Years At The PGA Championship
Top-of-the-line ‘Shifting Day’ performances lately was Collin Morikawa’s transfer in 2020 en path to successful his first main. Morikawa went from outdoors toe High 20 to T-4 on ‘Shifting Day’, earlier than following that up with a stellar Sunday efficiency to win the PGA Championship.
One other was Brooks Koepka’s triumph in 2018. Though he solely jumped from third to first after ‘Shifting Day’, he shot a -4 par spherical on Saturday to offer him a two-shot lead heading into Sunday.
Jason Day’s -6 ‘Shifting Day’ spherical on the 2015 PGA Championship additionally ended up being pivotal.
Briefly, as a rule the participant that’s high of the pile popping out of ‘Shifting Day’ goes on to carry the coveted Wanamaker Trophy.
How Two Spherical Leaders Fared At The PGA Championship – Final 10
Yr
Chief Going Into ‘Shifting Day’
End
Winner
2015
Matt Jones (-11)
T-21
Jason Day (-20)
2016
Jimmy Walker/Robert Streb (-9)
1/T-7
Jimmy Walker (-14)
2017
Kevin Kisner/Hideki Matsuyama (-8)
T-7/T-5
Justin Thomas (-8)
2018
Gary Woodland (-10)
T-6
Brooks Koepka (-16)
2019
Brooks Koepka (-12)
1
Brooks Koepka (-8)
2020
Li Haotong (-8)
T-17
Collin Morikawa (-13)
2021
Phil Mickelson/Louis Oosthuizen (-5)
1/T-2
Phil Mickelson (-6)
2022
Will Zalatoris (-9)
T-1
Justin Thomas (-5 playoff)
2023
Viktor Hovland/Scottie Scheffler/Corey Conners (-5)
T-2/T-2/T-12
Brooks Koepka (-9)
2024
Xander Schauffele (-12)
1
Xander Schauffele (-21)
How ‘Shifting Day’ Leaders Fared At The PGA Championship – Final 10
Yr
Chief After ‘Shifting Day’
End
Winner
2015
Jason Day (-15)
1
Jason Day (-20)
2016
Jimmy Walker/Robert Streb (-9)
1/T-7
Jimmy Walker (-14)
2017
Kevin Kisner (-7)
T-7
Justin Thomas (-8)
2018
Brooks Koepka (-12)
1
Brooks Koepka (-16)
2019
Brooks Koepka (-12)
1
Brooks Koepka (-8)
2020
Dustin Johnson (-9)
T-2
Collin Morikawa (-13)
2021
Phil Mickelson (-7)
1
Phil Mickelson (-6)
2022
Mito Pereira (-9)
T-3
Justin Thomas (-5 playoff)
2023
Brooks Koepka (-6)
1
Brooks Koepka (-9)
2024
Xander Schauffele/Collin Morikawa (-15)
1/T-4
Xander Schauffele (-21)