Having entered the weekend on the number, Justin Harding was unable to make strides up the PGA Championship leaderboard.
The third South African to progress – Erik van Rooyen and Louis Oosthuizen are well placed at two under oar – struggled on Saturday despite a good day off the tee.
Harding found nearly 75% of fairways in regulations but that number dropped nearly 20% when approaching the greens.
A trio of bogeys to open his round was a sign of a long slog around Bethpage Black.
A birdie on the fourth, playing at the easiest of the day, from nine feet allowed him to make up one shot. He would drop another after finding trouble off the tee on the long, par 3 eighth hole.
The back nine was less dramatic with each of his birdies – from 12 foot and 11 foot respectively on 13 and 17 – helping him work back the drops at 10 and 14 as he signed for a 73 that has him down in a share of 66th place.
Harding is +7 for the championship, his third outing in a Major.
Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
