The New Zealand golfer Danny Lee has fallen into a tie for 44th after a frustrating third day at the PGA Championship in Wisconsin.
Danny Lee on day three of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, 2015. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Lee was forced to complete his second round on Saturday at Whistling Straits after day two was suspended by inclement weather.
One under through 13 holes, Lee resumed play on the par five 5th with a triple bogey.
He double bogied the 7th and bogied the 8th for a five over par second round 77.
After an opening round 68 that placed Lee in a tie for third, the Rotorua golfer was one over for the championship after his second round and straight back on the course to commence his third.
Paradoxically, Lee birdied four of his first five holes, bogied the 8th, birdied the 10th and bogied the 13th for a 3rd round 69.
At two under for the championship, Lee is tied for 44th, 13 shots behind the leader Jason Day.
Day produced a stunning stretch of golf to rocket into the lead.
Jason Day celebrates his victory at the Canadian Open, 2015. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The world number five put together a third round six-under-66 to move to 15-under for the tournament, good enough for a two-stroke lead over the world number two Jordan Spieth, but it could have been even better for the Queenslander.
Day was left to rue a double bogey at the par-four 15th and a stroke of bad luck at the par-five 16th when his second shot buried in the rough at the rear of the green, blows that really kept Spieth, who shot a seven-under 65 in the hunt.
Spieth will look to thwart Day's attempts at a maiden major from just two shots back at 13-under.
South African Branden Grace (64) and England's Justin Rose (68) share third at 12-under while Day's fellow Australian Matt Jones faded late, dropping four shots in his last five holes to shoot 73 and sit tied sixth at 10-under.
Day, who started two back of Jones's lead opened by nearly holing out for eagle on the first and tapped in for birdie instead.
He then carded bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie over the next four holes before coming alive at the turn.
Starting on the ninth he produced six straight threes on his card for four birdies and an eagle and moved up to 16-under.
Then trouble struck as he missed the 15th green left from the fairway into a bunker and failed to get the ball out on his first attempt, eventually taking double and opening the door for the challengers.
Spieth rallied late to keep his dream of a third major this season alive.
Jordan Spieth. Photo: Photosport
The Texan played the first 10 holes one-under before birdies on six of his last eight, including three on the trot to finish.
Having already won the Masters and US Open this season, Spieth is gunning to become just the third player in history to win three of the four majors in one year, behind Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods and would likely take the top ranking if he saluted again.
