Leaders set for stormy round

US PGA Championship contenders could face another rough and rain-interrupted day with thunderstorms and gusting winds forecast during the third round at Oakland Hills.

JB Holmes is the man to beat at one under – the only player under par after 36 holes.

He is only one shot ahead of England's Justin Rose and Americans Ben Curtis and Charlie Wi in the final major of the year.

The Englishman is due to tee off in the second-from-last pairing with 2003 Open champion Curtis at 7.30pm Irish Time, with the forecast issued by tournament officials at the PGA of America predicting numerous showers and thunderstorms across the region and gusting winds of 20-25 miles per hour.

Play was suspended for 85 minutes late on Thursday as the opening round came to a temporary halt due to rain and the threat of lightning.

The third round got under way under mostly sunny skies this morning with very little movement up the leaderboard from the early-starting back-markers.

With the cut coming last night at eight over par, 73 golfers remain in the championship.

England’s Paul Casey, though, insisted last night anyone surviving the cut had a chance of victory.

Casey, seven strokes off the halfway lead, believes the severity of the par-70, 7,395-yard course and the forecast gusting winds leave the contest wide open.

“I honestly think anyone making the cut right now has still got a chance,” Casey said following his second-round, four-over-par 74 that left him at six over for the tournament heading into the weekend.

“Those going out in the morning with the better greens can post a number and there is no reason why they can’t get close to the lead.

“I was close to the cut at The Open and finished tied for seventh. I don’t see why you can’t do the same here.

“The guys at the top know how tough it can be and while they have played great golf to get there, they need to play well to stay at the top.”

Andres Romero, Prayad Marksaeng and Camilo Villegas were three early starters putting Casey’s theory to the test.

Thailand’s Marksaeng opened with birdies at the second and fourth holes to move to four over par after five holes, while Colombia’s Villegas scored birdies at the second and third to also reach four under after three.

Romero, from Argentina, exchanged birdie for bogey over the second and third holes but began to make headway with back-to-back birdies at the par-four sixth and seventh holes and moved to five over for the tournament having played seven holes.

Casey, though, bogeyed the par-four first to slip back to seven over before steadying with pars on the second and third holes.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell was the only other European among the early starters almost four hours into the day’s play and he began well with birdies at the par-five second and the par-four sixth, which tournament officials shortened from 387 yards following the second round, with it now measuring 285 yards to the front of the green and 318 yards to the hole.

McDowell was at four over par for the week and two under for the round having played six holes.