McIlroy enters final round of US PGA Championship with one-shot lead

Northern Irish golf ace Rory McIlroy maintained his one-shot advantage on day three of the US PGA Championship to enter the final round, despite struggling to find his imperious best at Valhalla.

The world number one shot a four-under-par 67 to lead on 13 under par, one clear of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger going into the final day. Wiesberger finished with three birdies to card a 65, with Rickie Fowler a shot adrift after a 67. American Phil Mickelson and Australian Jason Day are 10 under, with four players on nine under.

Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson, Mikko Ilonen and Ryan Palmer are bunched together as they attempt to cling on to Northern Ireland's McIlroy, The BBC reported.

McIlroy said that it is not the biggest lead he has ever had but he is still in control of this tournament, and added that the two birdies on 15 and 16 were huge.

The Northern Irishman has climbed back to number one in the world rankings after successive wins at the Open Championship and last week's World Golf Championship event in Ohio.

McIlroy took a one-shot lead into the third round at a damp Valhalla, but was unable to reproduce the form that marked him out as the overwhelming favorite to clinch a fourth major win. He finished with three birdies in the final four holes to hold off Wiesberger, describing his own performance as "gutsy".

McIlroy said that it is the best place to be in a tournament, adding that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else.