Golf:The US PGA Championship is heading for a tight finish as Martin Kaymer broke one stroke clear of a congested leaderboard early in the final round. After a patchy start, Rory McIlroy is two behind the German.
Kaymer birdied the second and fifth holes to move to 11 under par on a breezy afternoon at Whistling Straits with overnight leader Nick Watney falling back among the chasing pack.
Watney, three ahead overnight, double-bogeyed the first and dropped at the fourth to slide to 10 under. A birdie at the sixth was followed by a triple bogey at the next as the American moved back to eight under
McIlroy, one over for the round, was among a bunch of four players level at nine under.
Strengthening winds and quickening greens at Whistling Straits posed all sorts of problems as the year's final major appeared set for a dramatic finish. Nine players went into the final round within five shots of the lead, six of them bidding for a first major title.
Watney surrendered the outright lead with an ugly double-bogey at the first where he found the right rough off the tee, a greenside bunker with his second and tangly greenside rough with his third.
After missing a bogey putt from eight feet, he watched as Johnson tapped in a three-foot birdie putt to join him at 11 under.
Kaymer birdied the par-four fourth to join Johnson and Watney at 11 under before Johnson bogeyed the par-three third to slip back.
Watney and Johnson bogeyed the par-four fourth, Watney missing a five-foot par putt to leave Kaymer a stroke in front of the chasing pack.
Former winner Phil Mickelson, who was among the early starters, signed off with a sparkling five-under-par 67 to hold the clubhouse lead at six-under 282.
The left-hander, winner of the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol, chipped in from just off the green to eagle the par-five fifth and spark his late climb up the leaderboard.
World number one Tiger Woods, a distant 10 shots off the pace overnight in pursuit of his first major victory since the 2008 U.S. Open, closed with a 73 to finish at two under.
