Woods pegged back

Tiger Woods: Not one of his best rounds

A relatively mediocre third round from Tiger Woods has left the USPGA championship finely balanced as it enters Sunday's final round.

The defending champion and world No 1 managed a two under par round of 70 for a one shot lead, but on a day suited to low scoring he failed to take advantage.

Only an 18th-hole birdie allowed him to stay at the top of the leaderboard, a single shot ahead of his unheralded playing partner Scott Dunlap and fellow American Bob May, who fired a six-under 66.

Two shots behind Woods is JP Hayes and a further shot back is Australian Greg Chalmers.

Double bogey

Scott Dunlap: Still in contention

It all went very wrong for Woods at the 467-yard par four 12th where he suffered an uncharacteristic double bogey.

The 24-year-old, who is still on course to win three out of the four Majors this season, was left to rue a three putt from under 20 feet.

After suffering a bogey two holes later, Woods was left in the unfamiliar position of having to share the lead with another player, in this case fellow American Mays.

With apparent swing problems hampering him during the closing stages, the Open and US Open champion needed some brave golf to prevent any more dropped shots before engineering a birdie at the last with a stunningly accurate fairway wood onto the green of the par five.

From some 50 feet he put his eagle putt to the side of the hole to finish on 13 under.

May

Bob May: Just one shot behind Tiger

May, with only a 1999 win on the European Tour to his name, went to the turn in two-under before exploding on the more difficult back nine.

Four birdies in four holes saw the 31-year-old from Las Vegas hold the clubhouse lead until Woods finished.

It was a much better day for the Europeans with Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal and Dane Thomas Bjorn both in the hunt on nine under.

For Olazabal it was an amazing afternoon, his 63 tieing the lowest score ever shot in a Major championship. The last player to manage it was Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters.

Australian Stuart Appleby, playing in only his fourth USPGA championship, took a leaf from Olazabal's book by picking up six birdies in his first 11 holes to go 11-under but a hiccup half way through the homeward nine saw him slip back to nine under.

After a strong opening, left handed Phil Mickelson , still looking for his first Major, finished on seven under, six shots adrift of Woods.