Steve Palmer's US PGA Championship third-round preview, free golf betting tips

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 1pm Saturday

Best bets

Hideki Matsuyama to win twoball
4pts 8-11 Betfair, Betfred

Sungjae Im to win twoball
3pts 10-11 Betfair

Cameron Davis to win twoball
2pts 11-10 bet365, Coral, Ladbrokes

Story so far

The world's two highest-ranked players have missed the cut in the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island - Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas will not be around for the weekend - and 50-year-old Phil Mickelson holds a share of the lead.

Johnson and Thomas both finished round two at six over par, suffering in the South Carolinian breezes, joining Sergio Garcia, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood and Sam Burns on the US PGA scrapheap. Burns withdrew after just nine holes of round one, citing a back injury.

Mickelson, a pre-tournament 250-1 chance, followed a Thursday 70 with a Friday 69 to finish five under par. The legendary Lefty, who turns 51 on June 16, last won a Major in the 2013 Open. The five-time Major champion has not had a top-ten in a Major since the 2016 Open.

Louis Oosthuizen is tied for the lead. The South African, 66-1 on Thursday, carded a second-round 68 to put himself in position to win a second Major title. The 2010 Open champion has finished runner-up in all the Stateside Majors since - most recently when second in the 2017 US PGA Championship.

Brooks Koepka, one shot behind, has taken over as US PGA favourite. The pre-tournament 45-1 chance, seeking to win the event for a third time, is alone in third place and a general 4-1.

Leaderboard
-5 Phil Mickelson, Louis Oosthuizen
-4 Brooks Koepka
-3 Branden Grace, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Hideki Matsuyama
-2 Corey Conners, Gary Woodland, Kevin Streelman, Sungjae Im, Paul Casey

Selected others
-1 Joaquin Niemann, Bryson DeChambeau
Par Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley, Viktor Hovland
+1 Cameron Smith, Will Zalatoris, Bubba Watson, Lee Westwood, Collin Morikawa
+2 Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton, Scottie Scheffler
+3 Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy
+4 Daniel Berger, Jordan Spieth
+5 Jason Day, Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson

Best prices
4 B Koepka, 6 L Oosthuizen, 8 H Matsuyama, 12 P Mickelson, 14 B DeChambeau, 20 C Conners, B Grace, 22 C Bezuidenhout, P Casey, 28 G Woodland, S Im, V Hovland, 30 J Niemann, 45 K Streelman, 50 bar

Third-round preview

Strong breezes have played a significant role over the first two days of the US PGA Championship, with Phil Mickelson employing a two-iron to great effect and Louis Oosthuizen revelling with a three-iron he put specially in his bag for this week.

Two former Open champions are first and second, while Branden Grace, who carded the lowest round in Major history (62) in the 2017 Open, is tied for fourth. Controlling shots in the wind has been key to success over the opening 36 holes and US PGA punters will be obsessing over the weekend weather forecast.

A calmer Saturday, followed by a hot, breezy Sunday seems in store, so there is scope for some of the chasing pack to card third rounds in the 60s and make a move up the board. A 67 (Corey Conners, round one) is the best of the week so far, but there is scope for that being challenged in round three unless the PGA of America opt for some ugly pin positions.

Kiawah Island will probably bear its teeth on Sunday - and the tournament organisers are likely to relish a tough set-up for the denouement - but in-running punters should consider players deep on the board going into round three.

There are several class acts who could surge from over-par to the first page of the leaderboard, including pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy.

Of the top six on the board, Oosthuizen (6-1) and Hideki Matsuyama (8-1) are most appealing, with Grace already well covered as a Racing Post Sport 160-1 pre-tournament pick.

Oosthuizen is made for the Kiawah Island assignment, comfortable in a breeze and a Major champion who has contended for every Stateside Major. He found form in the build-up and has carried it to the Ocean Course.

The only question marks against Oosthuizen are the fact he has never won a tournament in the States, and his horrific drive which opened the playoff in the Zurich Classic a month ago. Alongside Charl Schwartzel in the Zurich pairs event, Oosthuizen badly sliced his drive into water, a meek surrender which must have dented his confidence.

If Oosthuizen wobbles at the death again, maybe Matsuyama can claim back-to-back Major glory. Winning the Masters last month - becoming Japan's first Major champion - was a huge relief for the 29-year-old. Matsuyama from a tie for fourth looks a huge Kiawah Island threat.

All six of Racing Post Sport's pre-tournament recommendations are within eight shots of the lead and will still feel they have a chance, with Grace having by far the best hope of setting up a winning opportunity. The South African suffered a double-bogey, bogey finish to round three to relinquish the lead, but Kiawah Island is a layout which plays to his strengths and hopes remain high from just two shots behind.

Brooks Koepka has clearly been lacking full fitness in the wake of knee surgery, while Mickelson has been struggling for 72-hole consistency, so the American pair seem short in the betting.

Third-round twoballs punters are pointed towards Matsuyama, who can outscore Christiaan Bezuidenhout in the 7.20pm UK and Ireland time match. The dip in breeze, coupled with his lack of experience in contending for Majors, could result in a Saturday fade from Bezuidenhout.

Another Asian - Sungjae Im - can be trusted against journeyman plodder Kevin Streelman in their 7pm contest, while Cameron Davis looks the pick of the odds-against options - against Steve Stricker at 4pm.

Two disaster holes have destroyed the title challenge of Davis - a seven at the par-four sixth in round one, then an eight at the par-five second in round two - but generally he has been swinging well and enjoying a course which suits. He won the 2016 Eisenhower Trophy - a top amateur event - on paspalum grass similar to Kiawah Island. He likes this terrain and the best finish of his PGA Tour career (third place) came on another Pete Dye-designed course in The American Express in January.

Davis, a technically superb player growing in confidence on the world stage, can outgun veteran Stricker in the more welcoming Saturday conditions.

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