CHASKA (Minnesota), Aug 18: Justin Leonard grabbed the third round lead at the US PGA championship Saturday as Tiger Woods failed to mount a charge, leaving the world number one five shots back and a lot of work 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.

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.

But while Leonard closed with birdies on 15 and 16 and pars on 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.

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.

Woods and 40 other players were greeted by gale force winds and cool conditions — the last remnants of the storm that ripped through the area uprooting trees and tearing roofs off houses — as they began their day by finishing the weather-delayed second round.

But Woods, who saw his grand slam hopes washed away by driving wind and rain during the third round of last month’s British Open, was unruffled by the diabolical conditions, finishing his second round with a par on 17 and a spectacular birdie on the par-four, 457-yard 18th.

Woods looked in trouble when his tee shot off 18 landed in the fairway bunker 211 yards from the green.

But from a difficult stance, the world number one calmly blasted his way out of the trap, over a stand of trees on to the green where he drained a tricky 20-foot putt, pumping his fist in delight as the large gallery roared its approval.

Leading third round scores (US unless stated):

207 — Justin Leonard 72, 66, 69.

210 — Rich Beem 72, 66, 72.

211 — Fred Funk 68, 70, 73.

212 — Tiger Woods 71, 69, 72; Mark Calcavecchia 70, 68, 74.

213 — Chris Riley 71, 70, 72.

215 — Rocco Mediate 72, 73, 70; Jose Coceres (Argentina) 72, 71, 72; Steve Lowery 71, 71, 73.

217 — Peter Lonard (Australia) 69, 73, 75; Jim Furyk 68, 73, 76; Retief Goosen (South Africa) 69, 69, 79.

218 — Greg Norman (Australia) 71, 74, 73; Ernie Els (South Africa) 72, 71, 75; Kevin Sutherland 72, 75, 71; Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 71, 73, 74; Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 74, 73, 71; Justin Rose (Britain) 69, 73, 76; Adam Scott (Australia) 71, 71, 76; Pierre Fulke (Sweden) 72, 68, 78.

219 — Vijay Singh (Fiji) 71, 74, 74; Steve Flesch 72, 74, 73; Jeff Sluman 70, 75, 74; Bernhard Langer (Germany) 70, 72, 77; Robert Allenby (Australia) 76, 66, 77; Kenny Perry 73, 68, 78.