By Mark Lamport-Stokes
KIAWAH ISLAND, South Carolina Aug 12 (Reuters) – Rory
McIlroy, seeking his second major title, preserved his
three-shot lead by making a comfortable par on the par-four
opening hole in Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship.
Wearing a last-day red shirt in the trademark manner of
14-times major champion Tiger Woods, McIlroy found the fairway
off the tee, hit his second shot to the lower portion of the
green and safely two-putted.
That left the Northern Irishman at seven under par in the
season’s final major, three ahead of Swede Carl Pettersson,
after one hole, and Britain’s Ian Poulter, who made a sizzling
birdie-birdie-birdie start.
Woods, hunting his first major crown in over four years, was
a further stroke back in a tie for fourth, having birdied the
par-five second where his eagle attempt from 20 feet slid past
the edge of the cup.
Level with Woods were fellow American Jimmy Walker, who
birdied the first two holes, Swede Peter Hanson, after two
holes, Australian Adam Scott, after two, and American Bo Van
Pelt, after one.
Though 2011 U.S. Open champion McIlroy was in overall
command on a hot and breezy afternoon at Kiawah Island Golf
Resort, the tournament was up for grabs with 14 players within
six shots of the lead after 54 holes.
Among the other big names in contention, twice champion
Vijay Singh of Fiji was at two under, after two holes, and
Ireland’s triple major winner Padraig Harrington was at one
under, after three.
McIlroy, who moved three strokes clear by firing a
five-under-par 67 in the weather-delayed third which was
completed earlier on Sunday, is aiming to end a run of 16 majors
won by different players.
The 23-year-old clinched last year’s U.S. Open at
Congressional by a staggering eight shots but has not since
contended in one of golf’s grand slam events until this week.
Conditions are expected to remain mainly sunny and breezy at
Kiawah Island for the rest of the afternoon, with a slight
chance of thunderstorms.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Frank Pingue)
