Kohler, WI (My Sportsbook) - Nick Watney posted a six-under 66 on Saturday to move three clear of the field after the third round of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Watney, a two-time tour winner, bogeyed the last to finish at 13-under 203.
Neither of Watney's two wins was a major title, but he finished seventh at this year's Masters and tied for seventh at the British Open Championship last month.
"At this point it's just another golf tournament. I think that's the best way for me to look at it," said Watney. "Obviously it's not, but I just need to go out there and keep doing what I'm doing. I'm playing very well."
Watney is three ahead of two men with major championship history in 2010, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, who both had 67s on Saturday.
McIlroy opened with a first-round leading 63 on Thursday at the British Open, but shot an 80 in round two. Johnson was the 54-hole leader at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, but a final-round 82 left him tied for eighth.
"I mean I definitely have a chance. And it is nice that it's come the major right after the last, right after St. Andrews," said McIlroy, 21.
McIlroy didn't have a three-shot lead with a round to go like Johnson did at Pebble Beach, but Johnson is ready to be front and center on Sunday at a major.
"I played some good golf this summer and even after Pebble Beach," said Johnson, who will be in Sunday's final pairing with Watney. "Instead of dwelling on it and letting it affect me, it's pushed me to work harder, go to the gym a little more, practice some more, to get better."
Wen-Chong Liang established a new course record at Whistling Straits with an eight-under 64 on Saturday. He is tied for fourth place with Martin Kaymer (67) and Jason Day (66) at nine-under 207.
Tiger Woods, a four-time winner who had his worst tournament as a professional last week, birdied his last two for an even-par 72. He is tied for 31st place at three-under 213, a full 10 shots behind Watney.
"Well, people have shot 50s before this year," joked Woods about his chances on Sunday and the two 59s this year on tour. "Things are starting to solidify, which is good. That's a good thing. That's what I'm pleased about. It's not like I'm working on eight different things. It's just a couple key things, and it feels a lot better."
Phil Mickelson, the 2005 PGA Champion, struggled to a one-over 73 and is tied for 48th at minus-one.
The tournament is back on track after lengthy fog delays on Thursday and Friday. The second round was completed Saturday morning, then, with players in threesomes off both the first and 10th tees, the third round was completed on time.
The final threesome featured Watney, second-round leader Matt Kuchar and 2003 U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk.
Watney wasted little time in erasing Kuchar's one-stroke advantage. At the first, Watney drained a six-foot birdie putt to tie the second-round leader, then went by him with a three-footer for birdie at the par-five second.
He had a decent look at birdie at the third, but missed the putt. Watney parred four, then went on a birdie run that gave him a very comfortable cushion.
At the par-five fifth, Watney came up short with his second and his third rolled on to the back fringe. Watney ran home the birdie putt, sank a 20- footer for birdie at six and converted a 10-footer at the seventh for three birdies in a row.
Watney was 12-under par and four shots ahead. He hit three-wood off the eighth tee and that left him a long approach. His second came up short and left and all he could manage was to pitch it to eight feet. Watney's par putt lipped out of the hole and the advantage was two thanks to a Johnson birdie at the 10th.
After a spectacular save from the right rough at the ninth, Watney's next birdie came at the par-five 11th. He drove into a bunker off the tee, then found the rough and muscled one 20 feet short. Watney poured in the birdie putt to push the lead to three.
He saved another great par from the right rough at 13, but tapped in a short birdie putt at No. 14 to extend the margin to four strokes.
Johnson and McIlroy birdied 16 to reach 10-under par and get within three. Watney answered the challenge. He holed an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-five 16th to move ahead by four again.
At the par-three 17th, Watney hit his tee ball 35 feet from the flag, but almost made the putt.
"I thought it might catch the hole, and screw in there, but I was very pleased with just -- I almost got the line right and that definitely would have been a bonus if it had caught the hole," said Watney.
Watney hit into the right rough off the 18th tee and tried to lay up, but put his second into the tall grass left of the fairway. With the ball well above his feet, Watney punched one to 40 feet and two-putted for the bogey that dropped his 54-hole lead to three.
Watney could join Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen as first-time major champions in 2010. He believes he's up to the task, but has a solid mental approach to Sunday.
"I can only control what I do," said Watney. "And I'm going to go out there tomorrow, put the tee in the ground on No. 1 and just try to focus on that shot. It's going to be a long day, it's going to be a tough day, but I'm really looking forward to it."
Furyk bogeyed the 18th for a 70. He is tied for seventh place with 1995 PGA Champion Steve Elkington (67), 2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson (69) and Jason Dufner (69). The group finished at eight-under 208.
Kuchar shot a one-over 73 and fell into a tie for 11th at minus-seven.
NOTES: Dustin Johnson and Oosthuizen both had three-shot leads heading into the final round at the U.S. Open and British Open...Ernie Els had a three- under 69 on Saturday and is tied for 16th place at five-under...Vijay Singh, who won the PGA in 2004 when Whistling Straits last hosted, shot a 73 and is tied for 19th at minus-four.
