David Toms pulls ahead

DULUTH (U.S.), AUG. 18. David Toms led the PGA Championship after Saturday's third round by two strokes over Phil Mickelson on a day of extraordinary shotmaking at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Toms made a hole in one at the 15th hole and rolled in a long birdie putt from the fringe at the 18th to post a five- under 65 for a total of 14-under-par 196.

Mickelson made eight birdies in a spectacular display of shooting of his own and finished with a four-under-par 66 to stand at 198.

The talented left-hander was knocking down the pin just about all day as six of his birdies putts were within six feet and four were within three feet.

World No. 2 Mickelson, who like Toms is looking for his first major title, nearly made an eagle himself on the 442- yard 14th hole when his approach shot bounced once from the fringe and hit the cup and stick before spinning away.

Mickelson has been extremely close to breaking through for his first major, but playing in the final twosome of the PGA will be an entirely new experience for Toms. ``I think I'll be nervous but it'll be fun,'' said the 34-year-old Toms, who is also campaigning to win a berth on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. ``I had a great time out there today.''

Japan's Shingo Katayama, who shared the second-round lead with Toms at nine-under 131, was tied for third place with American Steve Lowery at 10-under-par 200, four shots back.

Katayama, making a series of extraordinary saves down the stretch and blessed by a pair of lucky bounces, registered a one-under 69, while Lowery vaulted up the leaderboard with a four-under 66.

One more shot back was British Open champion David Duval, who posted a three-under-par 67 for 201, five strokes off the pace after a see-saw third round that saw Toms and Mickelson jockey back and forth in the lead with Katayama close behind.

The flamboyant Katayama, wearing his customary white cowboy hat and sporting a bright orange shirt for the third round, saved several pars with his bunker-play and long-distance putting on the back nine.

The 28-year-old Japanese also provided a pair of highlight shots helped by a measure of luck on the last two holes. At the par- three 17th, his tee shot bounced twice on the wall separating a pond from the green, and at 18, his second shot skipped off the water and onto dry land short of the green.

``It was a great day,'' said Katayama. ``I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed it,'' he said, before adding that escaping the water ``was very lucky. Very, very lucky.''

Toms, Mickelson and Katayama were not the only shotmaking wizards working some magic on the highlands course.

Earlier in the day Tiger Woods holed out for an eagle at the par- four ninth hole with a sand wedge from 105 yards out.

The electrifying eagle-two pushed the defending champion to two- under par, but a wobbly finish of back-to-back bogeys left Woods at one-under for the round and the tournament and ended his hopes of winning a third PGA Championship in a row.

Nick Faldo of Britain also thrilled the crowd on the highlands course when he made a hole-in-one, the 10th of his career, at the par-three fourth hole.

The six-times Major winner used a four-iron to find the cup on the 204-yard hole.

It will be hard to match the flood of fantastic shots that filled the rounds played on Saturday. But with the season's last Major championship crown at stake and with the Ryder Cup standings becoming final, there will be heaps of pressure in Sunday's final round.

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