Former British Open champion Justin Leonard revelled in the windy conditions during the third round of the PGA Championship yesterday to fire a three-under 69 and take a three-stroke lead.
The 30-year-old Texan said the strong gusting winds were ideal for his game.
"That's all we play in in Texas," he joked. "I've played in wind as much as most people. It makes it more of a strategic game and I like that. Under the circumstances that was one of the better ball striking rounds I have had. I'm going to remember this round for a long time."
Leonard shot three birdies on the inward nine to cement his place atop the leaderboard.
Tiger Woods, who began the day four-under and two behind joint leaders Leonard, Rich Beem, Fred Funk and Mark Calcavecchia, shot a level par 72 and five shots back from Leonard.
"I grinded my tail off," said Woods.
The 26-year-old was upset by ending with a bogey - wiping out a birdie at the par-five 11th.
"I hate ending with a bogey but I hit a lot of solid putts. I did what it takes," he explained.
Calcavecchia stumbled over the closing holes to slip down to a share of fourth with Woods.
Beem got himself to eight-under for the championship but faltered coming in, dropping shots at 14 and 17.
Funk (46), who has become the crowd favourite, was delighted to finish with a one-over 73.
"When I went out in that weather, my attitiude was to just hang in there and don't throw the whole thing away. I was sure par or thereabouts would do," he said.
Only three of the 72 players in the third round managed to break par while only Leonard shot under 70.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington battled against ankle and neck injuries yesterday and fired a two over par 74. The Dubliner lies 11 shots off Leonard’s lead at two over par.
South Africa's Retief Goosen, who started his round a shot ahead of Woods and only one off the lead, struggled in the gusting winds. By the time he reached the turn, the former US Open champion had dropped five shots. He lost two more on the way home and carded a seven-over par 79 to wreck his chances of winning a second major.
Phil Mickelson took his record in the majors to 42 attempts, 42 failures. The 32-year-old, dogged by the tag of being the best player in the world not to have won a major, had a nightmare inward nine. He ran off four straight bogeys to end his third round 19 shots adrift of Leonard.
"I'm just not playing well. I don't know what else to say. There's no one to blame but myself," said Mickelson.
Ernie Els, who arrived here brimming with confidence after his victory at the British Open only three weeks ago, found the conditions at Minnesota harder to handle.
Els wiped out two birdies with a double bogey and three bogeys to end 11 shots back.
"It was tough. Today was about survival. To play a golf course with this kind of design with a wind like this is really difficult," said Els.
Weathermen forecast ideal conditions for today’s final round.
AFP