In the event you watch protection of the 107th PGA Championship over the subsequent few days, you may 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?
In the event you’re a golf fan tuning in to a match and listen to somebody point out ‘Shifting Day’, you won’t 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.
In brief, ‘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 greatest main tournaments akin to The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship.
In terms of skilled PGA Tour tournaments, LIV Golf occasions or DP World Tour occasions, ‘Shifting Day’ may be important within the remaining end result of a match. Extra on that later.
Why Do Folks Name Name Saturday At Main Championship ‘Shifting Day’?
Now that now we have outlined precisely what ‘Shifting Day’ is in golf, you is likely to be 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 among the most fun motion throughout the PGA Championship as a complete.
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.
Taking pictures a low rating on transferring 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 might go a great distance in serving to a participant go on to raise the coveted Wanamaker Trophy.
Typically there are numerous completely different approaches taken to ‘Shifting Day’. A few of the leaders from the primary two rounds may exit hoping to consolidate their place on ‘Shifting Day’, with others enjoying a far riskier sport.
If a participant wants an enormous third spherical to convey themselves into competition on Sunday, they may climb the leaderboard considerably with a stellar ‘Shifting Day’ spherical after a gradual begin over the primary two days.
Nonetheless, this will usually go the opposite method too. Some gamers may fall out of competition after a robust begin on Thursday and Friday, with ‘Shifting Day’ proving their downfall. This has definitely occurred earlier than.
How Vital Is ‘Shifting Day’ To The Last End result?
On the PGA Championship, six of the final 10 years has seen a golfer go on to raise 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 have been Xander Schauffele final 12 months, Phil Mickelson in 2021, Brooks Koepka in 2019 and Jimmy Walker in 2016.
Trying on the statistics of gamers who sat high of the leaderboard after ‘Shifting Day’ is a distinct story. Of the final 10 gamers who have 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 have been Kevin Kisner in 2017, Dustin Johnson in 2020 and Mito Pereira in 2022.
Finest ‘Shifting Day’ Performances In The Final 10 Years At The PGA Championship
Among the finest ‘Shifting Day’ performances lately was Collin Morikawa’s transfer in 2020 en path to profitable his first main. Morikawa went from exterior toe Prime 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 present 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.
In brief, most of the time the participant that’s high of the pile popping out of ‘Shifting Day’ goes on to raise the coveted Wanamaker Trophy.
How Two Spherical Leaders Fared At The PGA Championship – Final 10
| 12 months | 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
| 12 months | 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) |
