St. Louis (AFP) – Tiger Woods charged into contention for his first major title in 10 years while two-time US Open champion Brooks Koepka seized a three-stroke lead at the turn in Saturday’s third round of the PGA Championship.
Woods, a 14-time major champion in his comeback season from spinal fusion surgery, birdied five of the first eight holes and shared sixth on eight-under par through 14 holes at Bellerive Country Club.
That left Woods five strokes off the pace of US compatriot Koepka, who birdied five of his first nine holes to make the turn on 13-under par, three shots ahead of Americans Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland with Australian Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, and American Kevin Kisner another stroke adrift.
Koepka, who in June became the first man to win back-to-back US Opens since Curtis Strange in 1988-89, could become only the fourth player to win the US Open and PGA Championship in the same year, following fellow Americans Gene Sarazen in 1922, Ben Hogan in 1948 and Jack Nicklaus in 1980.