For those who watch protection of the 107th PGA Championship over the following few days, you would possibly hear commentators point out the time period ‘Shifting Day’.
Right here at SportsLens, we’re readily available to clarify every part there’s to find out 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?
For those who’re a golf fan tuning in to a event and listen to somebody point out ‘Shifting Day’, you may not know precisely what this implies. That is why we’re readily available to clarify what the time period means in golf circles and the way vital it’s in main championship occasions.
In brief, ‘Shifting Day’ is one other identify given to the third spherical of a golf event. This usually falls on a Saturday and is a time period you’ll most likely hear within the largest main tournaments resembling The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and Open Championship.
Relating to skilled PGA Tour tournaments, LIV Golf occasions or DP World Tour occasions, ‘Shifting Day’ will be very important within the closing end result of a event. 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 may be questioning the place the time period truly comes from and why individuals name Spherical 3 at a serious championship ‘Shifting Day’.
The third spherical at a serious championship usually offers a number of the most fun motion throughout the PGA Championship as a complete.
Golf commentators name Saturday at a serious event ‘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 event. Within the case of the PGA Championship, a giant ‘Shifting Day’ efficiency might go a good distance in serving to a participant go on to carry the coveted Wanamaker Trophy.
Generally there are numerous totally different approaches taken to ‘Shifting Day’. A few of the leaders from the primary two rounds would possibly exit hoping to consolidate their place on ‘Shifting Day’, with others enjoying a far riskier recreation.
If a participant wants a giant third spherical to convey 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.
Nevertheless, this may usually go the opposite method too. Some gamers would possibly 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 Important Is ‘Shifting Day’ To The Remaining 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 prime 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 event.
The one 4 gamers who sat on the prime 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 prime of the leaderboard after ‘Shifting Day’ is a special story. Of the final 10 gamers who had been prime 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.
Finest ‘Shifting Day’ Performances In The Final 10 Years At The PGA Championship
Top-of-the-line ‘Shifting Day’ performances in recent times was Collin Morikawa’s transfer in 2020 en path to profitable his first main. Morikawa went from exterior 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 provide 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, as a rule the participant that’s prime 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
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)