Focused Woods three clear before final round

Tiger Woods extended his lead at the US PGA Championship to three strokes over Canadian Stephen Ames on Saturday in Tulsa, taking dead aim on claiming his 13th major title.

Woods, who held a two-shot overnight advantage, posted a one-under-par 69 for a seven-under-par 203 total on another sweltering day at Southern Hills.

"I accomplished my goal, which was to shoot under par and increase my lead," said holder Woods, who is hungry for his first major victory of the season.

"I've always said in order to have a great year you have to win a major championship. The majors are where it's all at and hopefully I can get it done tomorrow."

Woods, who won last year's US PGA at Medinah by five shots, is 12-for-12 winning major championships when entering the final round with the lead.

The world number one registered two birdies against one bogey as he played a solid round, content to watch his rivals slide back and struggle to stay in the hunt.

The top five players on the leaderboard all posted 69s. Ames rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the difficult 18th hole to move into second place at four-under 206, one stroke better than American Woody Austin, who bogeyed the last.

Australian John Senden was in fourth place at two-under-par 208, with three-times major winner Ernie Els of South Africa next at 209 as only five players finished 54 holes under par.

In contrast to Friday's exhilarating 63 that tied the lowest round ever shot in a major championship, Woods played a workmanlike 18 holes on Saturday.

The 31-year-old birdied the fourth and 12th holes and recorded his only bogey at the 223-yard par-three 14th when he needed two putts after blasting out of a greenside bunker.