Illinois (USA): Tiger Woods and Luke Donald tied for the lead at 14 under par after a birdie barrage at rain-softened Medinah in the PGA Championship on Saturday.
World No 1 Woods, seeking his second successive major after winning the British Open, fired a seven-under-par 65, and Donald posted a bogey-free 66 to set up a showdown in Sunday's final round.
Canadian Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, also shot a course-record tying 65 and was in third place at 12-under 204, one shot better than US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, who posted a 68 after starting with a double bogey.
"I was telling Stevie (caddie Williams) it doesn't seem like a major in a sense," Woods said.
"Generally in a major championship you make mostly pars and sprinkle in a couple of birdies. Today was totally different. You had to go out and make a bunch of birdies."
With Medinah's greens made even more receptive by Friday's late rain, players were taking dead aim at the flags and birdies came by the bucket load.
Nineteen players scored in the 60s as approach shots stuck on the greens like darts. Four strokes off the pace were Spaniard Sergio Garcia, runner-up to Woods at the 1999 PGA at Medinah, and 2003 PGA winner Shaun Micheel, who both fired 67s.
Another shot back was KJ Choi of South Korea who also went round in 67. Masters champion Phil Mickelson stood at eight-under 208 after bogeying the final hole for a 68.
"There were a lot of low scores today and I'm still a low round away," Mickelson said. "If I can just shoot it tomorrow -- seven, eight, nine under par, I should have a chance."
Especially accurate
Weir was especially accurate in his target shooting, sticking several approaches close enough to kick in.
"It was a special day, a lot of fun," said Weir, whose only blemish was a bogey at the last after an errant tee shot.
"It was one of those days even when I was aiming away from the flag a little bit, I seemed to either push it right at the flag or pull it stiff."
Woods will be trying to keep his perfect record intact of winning every one of his 11 majors after leading or sharing the lead going into the final round.
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The 28-year-old Donald, a local favorite who graduated from nearby Northwestern college and is commuting to the tournament from his home, is chasing his first major and hoping to become the first European-born player to win the PGA since Briton Tommy Armour in 1930.
"Playing with Tiger Woods in the last round of a major, especially in Chicago where I've been living for the last nine years, that's going to be exciting," said Donald.
"It's going to be quite a thrill." At one point 10 players were tied for the lead at eight under before Donald emerged from the pack with an impeccable outward half, his chip-in at the ninth giving him his fifth birdie of the day.
Save par
Woods rolled in a 30-foot putt to save par after a wild drive at the first before joining the birdie parade at the second, fifth, seventh and ninth holes.
A string of three birdies in a row from the 13th enabled Woods to leapfrog Donald. Woods began his surge when he hit his tee-shot pin high at the 244-yard par-three 13th and rolled in an eight-footer.
At the 605-yard par-five 14th, Woods splashed out of a bunker to two feet and made his birdie putt.
On the next hole Woods knocked his approach shot out of a fairway divot to within four feet of the cup and made it to take the lead for the first time.
Donald had seven successive pars after his chip-in at nine then drew level with Woods at 14-under after hitting his tee shot to two feet at the 197-yard, par-three 17th.
Ogilvy, who neutralised his double-bogey at the first with an eagle-two at the fifth before adding four birdies, welcomed the challenge of overtaking Woods.
"At some point, he's not going to win one when he's leading," said Ogilvy, 29.
"He's not going to go his whole career, hopefully, leading after three rounds and winning. "Someone is going to beat him one day," he said. "That would be a pretty good feather in your cap."
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