JOHNS CREEK (Georgia), Aug 14: After failing to win any of the last six majors, the United States hold the top five spots heading into Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship with unheralded duo Brendan Steele and Jason Dufner sharing the lead at seven under par.
Steele, who had not played a hole on the PGA Tour before this year, is ranked 121st in the world but he fired a confidentfour-under 66 at Atlanta Athletic Club while, all around him, many of the sport’s elite struggled.
Steele has at least got a PGA Tour win under his belt, he was victorious in the Texas Open in April, which is more than the 34-year-old Dufner, who has played most of his golf on the second tier Nationwide Tour, can claim. Dufner carded a 68.
Britain’s Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, the top-ranked players in the world but neither yet to secure a major title, both looked well poised to mount challenges.
However, like so many this week, their prospects were hampered by misfortune on the tricky final four holes.
Instead another American rookie, Keegan Bradley, was a stroke behind the leaders after showing intense concentration through his round of 69.
Veteran Americans, Scott Verplank and world No 5 Steve Stricker, carded matching 69s and were respectively two and three shots behind the pacesetting pair.
Europe’s closest challenger was Dane Anders Hansen, whose consistent week continued with an even-par 70 to follow hisrounds of 68 and 69.
Hansen is four strokes off the pace along with yet another unfancied American DA. Points (71).
Leading third-round scores:203 — Brendan Steele (US) 69, 68, 66; Jason Dufner (US) 70, 65, 68.
204 — Keegan Bradley (US) 71, 64, 69.
205 — Scott Verplank (US) 67, 69, 69.
206 — Steve Stricker (US) 63, 74, 69.
207 — Anders Hansen (Denmark) 68, 69, 70; D.A. Points (US) 69, 67, 71.
208 — David Toms (US) 72, 71, 65; Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 71, 71, 66; Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70, 71, 67; Adam Scott (Australia) 69, 69, 70; John Senden (Australia) 68, 68, 72.
209 — Ben Crane (US) 71, 72, 66; Nick Watney (US) 70, 71, 68; Luke Donald (Britain) 70, 71, 68; Spencer Levin (US) 71, 70, 68; Brendon De Jonge (Zimbabwe) 68, 72, 69; Lee Westwood (Britain) 71, 68, 70; Jim Furyk (US) 71, 65, 73.
210 — Hunter Mahan (US) 72, 72, 66; Francesco Molinari (Italy) 72, 71, 67; Alexander Noren (Sweden) 70, 72, 68; Matt Kuchar (US) 71, 71, 68; Bill Haas (US) 68, 73, 69; Phil Mickelson (US) 71, 70, 69; Ryan Palmer (US) 71, 70, 69; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 72, 69, 69; Scott Piercy (US) 71, 68, 71; Brandt Jobe (US) 68, 69, 73.
211 — Bill Lunde (US) 71, 71, 69; Brian Davis (Britain) 69, 73, 69; Kevin Na (US) 72, 69, 70; Gary Woodland (US) 70, 70, 71; Simon Dyson (Britain) 68, 72, 71; Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 69, 71, 71; Mark Wilson (US) 69, 71, 71.
212 — K.J. Choi (South Korea) 70, 73, 69; Ian Poulter (Britain) 74, 68, 70; Bubba Watson (US) 74, 68, 70; Johnson Wagner (US) 71, 69, 72; Jerry Kelly (US) 65, 73, 74; Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 70, 68, 74.
213 — Chris Kirk (US) 72, 72, 69; Bryce Molder (US) 74, 69, 70; Matteo Manassero (Italy) 68, 74, 71; Robert Allenby (Australia) 72, 70, 71; Harrison Frazar (US) 72, 69, 72; Charles Howell III (US) 72, 68, 73; Yuta Ikeda (Japan) 73, 68, 72.
214 — John Rollins (US) 72, 72, 70; Kim Kyung-Tae (South Korea) 73, 71, 70; Mike Small (US) 73, 71, 70; Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 69, 73, 72; Johan Edfors (Sweden) 71, 70, 73; Robert Garrigus (US) 70, 70, 74.
215 — Kevin Streelman (US) 73, 71, 71; Ricky Barnes (US) 69, 75, 71; Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 73, 69, 73; Davis Love III (US) 68, 71, 76.
216 — Zach Johnson (US) 71, 72, 73; Andres Romero (Argentina) 72, 70, 74; Noh Seung-Yul (South Korea) 71, 70, 75; Ross Fisher (Britain) 71, 69, 76.
217 — Rory McIlroy (Britain) 70, 73, 74; Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 73, 69, 75.
218 — Michael Bradley (US) 70, 74, 74; Yang Yong-Eun (South Korea) 71, 73, 74; Rickie Fowler (US) 74, 69, 75; Peter Hanson (Sweden) 71, 71, 76.
219 — Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 70, 73, 76.
220 — Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 75, 69, 76; Ryan Moore (US) 75, 69, 76.
221 — Sean O’Hair (US) 71, 73, 77; Shaun Micheel (US) 66, 78, 77.
222 — Paul Casey (Britain) 72, 72, 78.—Reuters