ROCHESTER (New York), Aug 17: Shaun Micheel fell back into a tie for the US PGA Championship third-round lead as Tiger Woods’s hopes of clinching at least one major for the fifth consecutive year all but disappeared on Saturday.

American journeyman Micheel, two ahead of the field overnight, held his nerve for most of the day with pin-point approach play before bogeying his last three holes for a one-under-par 69.

That left him in a share of the lead at four-under 206 with compatriot Chad Campbell, who holed a 35-foot birdie putt at the last for a best-of-the-week 65.

US Masters champion Mike Weir, chasing his second major of 2003, was a further three strokes back in third after returning a level-par 70. South African Tim Clark was alone in fourth on 210 after a two-under 68.

However, world number one Woods, bidding this week for a ninth career major and his first since last year’s U.S. Open, battled for accuracy off the tee on his way to a three-over-par 73, finishing 13 strokes off the pace on nine-over 219.

Neither Micheel nor Campbell has won on the PGA Tour and, if either manages to triumph on Sunday, the US PGA Championship will fall to a first-time winner for the 13th time in the last 16 years.

It would also complete a clean sweep of first-time winners at this year’s majors, following the breakthrough victories achieved by Weir, Jim Furyk (US Open) and the unlikely Ben Curtis (last month’s British Open).

The four majors have not been won by first-timers in a single season since 1969, when George Archer clinched the Masters, Orville Moody the US Open, Briton Tony Jacklin the British Open and Raymond Floyd the US PGA Championship.

Micheel, playing in only his third major, might have been expected to slide down the leaderboard after he ran up a bogey five at the 460-yard first.

Leading third round scores (US unless stated):

206 — Shaun Micheel 69, 68, 69; Chad Campbell 69, 72, 65.

209 — Mike Weir (Canada) 68, 71, 70.

210 — Tim Clark (South Africa) 72, 70, 68.

211 — Billy Andrade 67, 72, 72; Briny Baird 73, 71, 67; Alex Cejka (Germany) 74, 69, 68; Ernie Els (South Africa) 71, 70, 70.

212 — Fred Funk 69, 73, 70; Charles Howell III 70, 72, 70; Vijay Singh (Fiji) 69, 73, 70.

213 — Robert Gamez 70, 73, 70; Jay Haas 70, 74, 69; Phil Mickelson 66, 75, 72; Rod Pampling (Australia) 66, 74, 73; Tom Pernice Jr 70, 71, 72; Loren Roberts 70, 73, 70; Adam Scott (Australia) 72, 69, 72; Hal Sutton 75, 71, 67.

214 — Woody Austin 72, 73, 69; Toshi Izawa (Japan) 71, 72, 71; Lee Janzen 68, 74, 72; Frank Lickliter II 71, 72, 71; Kevin Sutherland 69, 74, 71.

215 — Carlos Franco (Paraguay) 73, 73, 69; Jim Furyk 72, 74, 69; Tim Herron 69, 72, 74; Scott McCarron 74, 70, 71.

216 — Luke Donald (Britain) 73, 72, 71.

217 — Fred Couples 74, 71, 72; Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 76, 70, 71; Todd Hamilton 70, 74, 73; Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 72, 76, 69; J.L. Lewis 71, 75, 71; Peter Lonard (Australia) 74, 74, 69; Rocco Mediate 72, 74, 71; Jesper Parnevik (Sweden) 73, 72, 72; Kenny Perry 75, 72, 70; Duffy Waldorf 70, 75, 72.

218 — Stuart Appleby (Australia) 74, 73, 71; Bob Burns 72, 76, 70; David Toms 75, 72, 71.

219 — Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 69, 77, 73; Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 71, 76, 72; Jose Coceres (Argentina) 73, 68, 78; Gary Evans (Britain) 74, 74, 71; Jonathan Kaye 74, 73, 72; Len Mattiace 74, 70, 75; Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 71, 71, 77; Ian Poulter (Britain) 72, 75, 72; Tiger Woods 74, 72, 73.—Reuters