Leonard takes third round lead as the Tiger stalls

Justin Leonard grabbed the third round lead at the US PGA Championship on Saturday as Tiger Woods failed to mount a charge, leaving the Worl...

Justin Leonard grabbed the third round lead at the US PGA Championship on Saturday as Tiger Woods failed to mount a charge, leaving the World Number One five shots back and with a lot of work to do if he is to capture his third major of the year.

Leonard, who began the day tied with four others at the top of the leaderboard, fired three birdies on the back nine to take sole possession of the lead at nine-under and a three-shot advantage over unheralded Rich Beem into Sunday’s final round. Fred Funk sits another shot back at five-under with Woods and Mark Calcavecchia lurking one shot further adrift.

The 1997 British Open champion’s three-under 69 was one of just four sub-par rounds recorded on a wild day at the Hazeltine National Golf Club as fierce winds howled across the monstrous 7,360-yard layout.

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“I’m a bit surprised by the size of the lead,” admitted Leonard. “But I was a little surprised that I was able to shoot three-under par because of the difficulty of the golf course and how it was playing.

“Tomorrow I feel like I have to go out and play a great round of golf. It takes that to win a major championship.

“I’ve done it once and lost a couple of close ones. I’ve been on both sides of the coin and know what I need to do.”

While others floundered in wind, Leonard, who grew up in Texas playing in similar conditions, flourished striking the ball with precision and authority. As the long day drew to a close Woods still had Leonard well within his sight, poised just two shots behind the Texan through 14 holes.

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But while Leonard closed with birdies on 15 and 16 and Parson 17 and 18, Woods struggled home and carded his only bogey of the day on the final hole. Indeed, Woods’ hopes of becoming the first to win three of the year’s four majors in a single season for a second time may well have unravelled with his drive off the 18th tee that sliced right and ended up against the side of hospitality tents. Having saved pars with dramatic putts on 16 and 17, Woods was out of miracles on his final hole of the day.

“I hate to end it that way,” offered a disappointed Woods. In all eight of Wood’s major championship wins he has held at least a share of the lead going into the final. But if the 26-year-old is to add the PGA to the Masters and US Open titles he has claimed this season and become the first to complete what is being billed as the American slam he will have to do something he has never done before and come from behind to claim title. (Reuters)

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