12 Aug 2012

Adam Scott charges at US PGA Championship

2:44 pm on 12 August 2012

Australia's Adam Scott has put himself in a strong position for major championship redemption halfway through a storm-interrupted third round of the US PGA Championship in South Carolina.

Scott charged into third place on Saturday to sit just a shot behind leaders Rory McIlroy and Vijay Singh before rain suspended play.

The Queenslander is four-under par through nine holes to be five-under for the tournament as he looks to chase down the two former world No.1s.

Fijian Singh is two-under in his third round through seven holes while Northern Ireland's McIlroy is four-under through nine.

If Scott is to capture his first major he'll likely have to do so playing 27 holes on Sunday with play due to resume at 1.45am on Monday New Zealand time.

Scott is looking to rebound from his calamitous finish to the Open Championship last month when he squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play as Ernie Els swept to victory.

Starting three shots off the lead Scott appeared a little out of sorts through his opening four holes, leaving a few chips shorter than he would have liked and missing some gettable birdie putts.

But his round was sparked when he holed out for birdie on the par-three fifth hole from a sandy area left of the pin, giving the 32-year-old the jolt he needed.

He almost holed from 20 feet for birdie on the sixth but settled for par before closing his front nine with three straight birdies.

He slid in a seven-foot putt on the seventh, hit his approach to three feet on the par-three eighth and then holed an eight-metre bomb on the ninth to make the turn in 32.

When the horn sounded he was just short of the par four 10th green in two.

Overnight co-leader Tiger Woods dropped three shots in his opening seven holes for a share of 11th, five shots off the pace.

Woods bogeyed the fourth after a chunked chip, the fifth after missing the green from the tee and went over the back of the seventh green and failed to get up and down.