18.29 – The sport never stops, does it? The final gold medal of London 2012 has just been decided in the women’s modern pentathlon and before the Olympic embers have even gone cold, we’ve a whole new shiny plaything to keep us occupied for the night. And it’s a good ‘un.

It’s the final round of the golf season’s last major, the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, and Rory McIlroy might never have a better chance to add to his 2011 US Open title. He leads by three shots from Carl Pettersson but there’s a host of top names swarmed behind waiting to pounce. I probably don’t need to remind you that we’ve been here before with Irish hopes on the final day of a major.

Rory, Pettersson and Bo van Pelt are out in the final grouping at 6.45pm and we’ll be here to keep you updated on all of the action until the bitter end.

18.34 – Here’s how the leaderboard looks: -7 McIlroy; -4 Pettersson; -3, Immelman, Scott, van Pelt.

Of the other Irish, Graeme McDowell is on -1 after a par at the first while Padraig Harrington has opened his final round with a bogey to drop back to level par.

18.45 – HERE’S RORY: Our final group of McIlroy, Pettersson and van Pelt take to the first tee, a 396-yard par four. Another massive few hours in the young career of Rory McIlroy start here.

18.53 – McDowell has a chance for a birdie at three. His line is good but he just underhits it slightly and it trots up three or four feet short. That should be a handy enough par and G-Mac will be happy with how he’s started off.

From 120 yards, Rory plays his approach into the second and it’s all good, bar a tiny bit of backspin which takes it away from the cup and down towards the front of the green. Steady as she goes.

19.01 – Rory rolls his birdie putt to within a few inches and that’ll do nicely for an opening par. Pettersson and van Pelt follow him with pars apiece as well.

Leaderboard: -7 McIlroy (1); -4 Pettersson (1), Poulter (3)

20.29 – At six, McIlroy’s birdie effort breaks a little bit too much from right to left and squeaks by the edge of the cup. It’s an opportunity missed but another safe par to consolidate his three-shot lead.

His closest pursuer, Ian Poulter, has just parred out for a front nine score of 31. It’s left him right in contention, one shot ahead of Pettersson who pars the sixth as well to stay on -5.

20.32 – WEATHER WARNING: The organisers have just uttered the two words we least wanted to hear this evening (apart from “McIlroy chokes” obviously). The weather warning signs have just gone up on the 18th green and we could be in a spot of bother.

I’m guessing the early start time and three-ball final pairings were to minimize time delays in the hope of finishing the competition before the thunderstorms hit but we could be in trouble now. If you could turn towards South Carolina and blow in that general direction, it’d be much appreciated.

20.39 – After handing back a shot at six, Adam Scott reclaims it on the very next hole. Four-under for the Australian.

And hang on a second, what’s this? Three-in-a-row for Harrington as he nails his birdie putt on nine. That’s 33 on the front nine for Paddy and he moves up to a tie for fourth.

20.46 – BIRDIE FOR RORY! Oh boy, Rory is making these count now. A fabulous effort with his eagle putt on the seventh rolls up just short and he taps in for a birdie to move to -10. That will do nicely, thank you.

“He is murdering this course,” Colin Montgomerie says, “it’s like Congressional.” Here’s hoping.

21.06 – When your luck is out… Adam Scott looks to have a dead-cert birdie on the ninth but after looking into the cup, his ball decides it doesn’t quite fancy it and stays out. Four-under is where the Aussie stays.

21.25 – What a shot by Ian Poulter into 12. There’s no way in the world he meant to be so attacking — and if he did, he needs his head checked as that came dangerously close to the water —  but Poults has given himself a brilliant birdie chance. Rory’s lead could be cut down to two presently…

21.50 – DROPPED SHOT: Poulter pushes that par putt to the right and wide and lets out an audible growl as he bends down to pick the bogey stroke back out of the cup.

Up on 17, Justin Rose has made a bogey after finding the water. All in all, the leaderboard I provided you with about two minutes ago is now completely redundant.

Hey, it could be worse. I could be liveblogging the Spice Girls reunion in the Olympic Stadium. I hear One Direction were there too.*

*Not a joke.

22.01 – The wheels are starting to come off ever so slightly for Ian Poulter, and with McIlroy saving par every which way at the moment, that could be enough to seal the deal. It’s looking like a bogey for Iano on 14 and McIlroy could turn it into a two-shot swing with birdie of his own at 11.

22.13 – Poulter’s wobble looks like it might be about to continue at 15. Speaking to Sky Sports, Justin Rose warns Rory to beware the treacherous 13th. One-over between here and the finish line should be more than enough though, Rose says.

22.43 – As we head for the clubhouse, here’s your leaderboard.

Leaderboard: -11 McIlroy (13); -5 Poulter (16), Pettersson (13); -4 Rose (F), Bradley (17), van Pelt (13).

22.50 – Over on Sky, Ewen Murray and Colin Montgomerie are so bored watching McIlroy’s march, they’ve started picking through the options of Jose Maria Olazabal’s yet-to-be-named Ryder Cup team. They’re missing a masterclass but they don’t seem worried.

22.54 – Rory’s play from around the fringes has been pretty faultless today and he does it again on 14, lofting his second shot to five or six feet. “Another par crossed off the list,” says Monty and Rory just has to finish out the last four before the rest of the field is put out of their misery.

22.59 – “You have to hand it to Rory McIlroy,” says Butch Harmon. That’s the brilliant thing — nobody has handed anything to Rory today, he’s won it all himself. Poulter threw the kitchen sink at him early on but McIlroy has been simply superb. His tee shot on 15 oozes confidence.

23.08 – It’s a bogey finish for Ian Poulter, who closes out with a five for a round of 69. He finishes on -4 and it’s just a pity — for everyone bar Rory McIlroy — that his challenge petered out across the back nine.

23.17 – For what it’s worth, here’s the leaderboard.

Leaderboard: -11 McIlroy (15); -5 Lynn (F); -4 Rose (F), Bradley (F), Poulter (F), Pettersson (15).

23.27 – On the 16th, McIlroy, Pettersson and van Pelt all end up off the green with their approaches but they all pitch on to within 10 feet (I think).

There’s not even a hint of movement in Rory’s putt. He holes for birdie from six or seven feet and if this has to be a procession (and it does), McIlroy is intent on doing it in style.

23.46 – Eight shots at Congressional; seven shots today. It’s kinda scary to think that Rory McIlroy is still only 23. In case I haven’t mentioned it already, his round today has been superbly controlled. A million miles away from Augusta 2011.

Carl Pettersson still has a chance to move into a share of second with a birdie at the last but he’s hacked his drive down the left and into the rough.

23.51 – Rory’s left with 140 yard approach which sticks up on the edge of green and rolls back to the fringe. From there, he’ll have eight putts to win the 2012 PGA Championship.

I guess he can enjoy the walk.