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Watney's major quest in danger

Sheboygan - American Nick Watney's quest for his first major title looked in serious danger of being snuffed out as he struggled off the tee to start his final round at the PGA Championship.

The prospect of another first-time major winner still looms though in the closing stages of the season's final major championship, which has 10 players within two shots of the lead.

Watney made double bogey on the par-four first hole and had a bogey on No. 4 before making birdie on the sixth.

It got worse for Watney on the par-three seventh as his tee shot sailed into the water and he took a triple bogey. He is five over after just seven holes.

Watney, 29, took a three-shot lead into the final round after shooting a six-under 66 on Saturday.

Players teed off under brilliant sunny skies but still had to deal with wind gusts coming in off Lake Michigan.

Watney is trying to join US Open winner Graeme McDowell and British Open champion Louis Oostuizen as first-time major winners this season.

Watney's playing partner, American Dustin Johnson, Germany's Martin Kaymer, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Australians Jason Day and Steve Elkington were also still in the hunt.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson had the best early round of the day, firing a five-under 67. Both Mickelson and Tiger Woods were early starters at Whistling Straits.

Mickelson had a mathematical chance of surpassing Woods for the world number one ranking but it was a case of too little too late.

Mickelson eagled the par-five fifth hole and rolled in five birdies but it wasn't enough to catch Woods.

Mickelson, who started the day 12 shots back of the leader, needed to finish in solo fourth place and have Woods finish outside the top 46 for him to have a chance at being No. 1 next week.

England's Ian Poulter pulled out of the tournament at the beginning of Sunday's final round with an illness. Poulter shot a five-over 77 on Saturday.

Poulter's absence allowed American Jeff Overton to set a PGA Championship record by covering his 18 holes in just two hours, eight minutes.

Overton had been paired with Poulter in the first group off the tee and when his partner didn't show he blitzed the course in record time. The previous mark was held by Phil Blackmar in 1991 at Crooked Stick.

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