LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s fitting that Valhalla Golf Club is just a 20-minute drive from Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby was run a couple of weeks ago.

Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship will resemble a horse race of the highest order, with some of the thoroughbreds of the sport at the starting gate with a serious chance to win.

Xander Schauffele, who’s had piece of the lead after all three rounds, is tied with Collin Morikawa at the top at 15-under par.

Schauffele shot a 3-under 68 in Saturday’s third round and Morikawa shot 67.

They’re one shot better than Sahith Theegala, who’s 14-under after shooting 67, and two shots clear of Shane Lowry (62), Viktor Hovland (66) and Bryson DeChambeau (67).

Justin Rose (64 on Saturday) and Robert McIntyre (66) are three shots off the lead at 12-under.

Gentlemen, start your engines.

Sorry, wrong sport.

Either way, Sunday is almost guaranteed to be a barn burner here in horse country.

“There’s blood in the water,’’ Schauffele said, referencing that he was certain players would be coming after him Saturday, as they did.

Schauffele, who hasn’t won since 2022 and is seeking his first major championship despite playing extremely well in them during his career, called Sunday “another Sunday,’’ as if he was trying to talk himself into not feeling the nerves in the gravity of the moment.

Schauffele is one week removed from looking like he was going to go wire-to-wire and win the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow … only to have it ripped from him by a remarkable Rory McIlroy final round.

Asked if he’d rather be the player chasing on a Sunday or the player being chased, Schauffele said, “You want the lead. Against these guys, you want as many shots as you can possibly take, no matter how nerve-wracking it can be.’’

Schauffele leaked a couple of those precious strokes away on the 15th hole Saturday with a damaging double bogey that turned into a three-shot swing with Morikawa carding birdie on the hole to take the lead at 14-under at the time.

Morikawa is seeking his third career major championship, having won the 2020 PGA and the 2021 British Open. Like Schauffele, though, he’ll walk to the first tee with demons he’ll need to put to rest.

Morikawa was in contention at the Masters last month, with a real chance to win, and he shot 74 in the final round with debilitating double bogeys on Nos. 9 and 11.

He conceded afterward that he got “greedy’’ on 11 trying to hit the green and rinsing his ball in Rae’s Creek instead of playing it more conservatively.

“I’m going to tap in to just kind of that mental state I’ve been in, not only those two [wins in majors], but in other tournaments I’ve played well in,’’ Morikawa said. “Tomorrow is just going to put everything I have out there and see how it plays out.’’

Morikawa sounded a lot like Schauffele when he talked about his plan for Sunday.

“I’ve just got to be focused on myself,’’ he said. “Look, I’ve played against all these guys. It’s not like any of these guys are new. They all have their accolades within themselves, and really anyone can go low. Everything that I’ve gone through over the past couple years, I’m ready for these moments. A month ago, I felt like I was ready. Made a couple errors. Tomorrow, hopefully, we’re not.’’

Hovland, who was overwhelmed by Koepka last year at Oak Hill, called having another chance at the Wanamaker Trophy a year later “exciting.’’

“Obviously, this is one of the big four that we try to win,’’ Hovland, seeking his first major, said. “It’s cool history, cool trophy. Everything about it is super special. It’s a great field. You just want to be a part of having a name on that trophy.’’

The 15th hole was pivotal late on Saturday. Theegala chipped in for birdie on 15. Schauffele doubled it while Morikawa birdied it.

Theegala said he’ll enter Sunday with “no expectations.’’

“Try to have fun,’’ he said. “You never know how many chances you’re going to get. There’s a bunch of guys that are just absolute world-beaters [with] major championships ahead of me and behind me. I’ll be nervous, and it’s going to be great to embrace those nerves because it’s a feeling you don’t get often.’’

DeChambeau, who put an exclamation point on his round with a chip-in for eagle on the 18th hole, is also embracing the moment.

The chip-in vaulted him from 11-under and on the cusp of contention to 13-under and right there.

“Exhilarating,’’ was DeChambeau’s description of the shot. “I haven’t felt like that in a long time. The only other time I felt like it was when I shot 58 at Greenbrier last year. That was pretty exciting there. I was pretty pumped. I’ve got a good chance.’’

A lot of guys have a good chance, which makes this a can’t-miss race to watch.