Sure-fire Leonard keeps Mr Beem at bay

US PGA: Woods produces wonder shots to put the storms and delays behind him - then falters at the last

Four weeks ago Tiger Woods could not buy a par at Muirfield as his dreams of a Grand Slam were blown away with a career-worst 81 in the third round of The Open. At Hazeltine National yesterday there was no rain and the temperature was far higher than back in East Lothian. But a strong Prairie wind, gusting up to 30mph through the trees and whipping up waves on Hazeltine Lake caused havoc with the field in the third round of the US PGA Championship.

This time Woods did not drop a shot until the 18th in his 72. "I ground my tail off but that bogey at the last ticked me off," Woods said. Having started the round two strokes off a five-way tie for the lead, Tiger ended five behind Justin Leonard. The 1997 Open champion at Troon displayed battling abilities in the wind worthy of a man who not only held up the claret jug but grew up in Texas.

Leonard was the player to emerge from the leading pack with a 69 becoming the only player to break 70. At nine under he led by three from Rich Beem, the former car stereo and mobile phone salesman who won the International tournament two weeks ago with Fred Funk a further shot back.

It was at Interlachen, on the other side of Minneapolis and where Leonard played on a winning American Walker Cup team, that the legendary amateur Bobby Jones won the US Open during his Grand Slam year of 1930. Woods here is attempting to win the US Slam – all three of the American professional majors, something that has never became claimed before. But, curiously, Woods will have to come from behind to win a major for the first time. In each of his previous eight major wins, he has either led or tied for the lead after 54 holes.

Tiger's only birdie came at the par-five 11th but, as so often in majors, it was his par-saving putts that defined his round. The best was a 35-footer at the 16th which he celebrated with an arm-pump that was worthy of victory. But a wayward drive at the last meant he needed a brilliant second to get it near the green but it was not even his best shot of the day at the hole.

Woods was one of 41 players who had to complete their second rounds yesterday morning after a thunderstorm interrupted play on Friday evening with Funk holding a one-stroke lead. Such was the storm that raged for most of the night in the Minneapolis area that three inches of rain fell on the course overnight and the practice range became a lake. Woods was up at 5am but the mopping up meant the restart was delayed until after 9am local time.

After a par-three at the 17th, the world No 1 hooked his drive into a bunker on the last. The ball was near the edge of the sand and was below his feet. Needing to hit a draw over some trees into a wind blowing strongly from left-to-right he hit a superb three-iron from 211 yards to 12 feet.

"I absolutely flushed it," Woods said. "The one thing I was guarding against was losing it to the right in the grandstand. It's got to rank up there with the best shots I've ever hit, given the lie and the conditions – and I holed the putt." The only shot Woods could immediately recall to match it was his fairway bunker shot over water to win the Canadian Open two years ago. As Ernie Els, who finished at one under, shook hands with Woods at the end of their rounds the South African said just one word: "Unbelievable."

Els was later playing with Padraig Harrington, who, having felt his ankle problem get better, injured his neck right at the end of his warm-up routine. "I hit a three wood and it cracked all the way down my neck," said the Irishman. "I was in serious pain. I could hardly walk because every time I put my foot down, the pain went up my neck." Harrington called his personal physio Dale Richardson who was not at the course and had to drive rapidly to Hazeltine. In any case, Harrington could not miss his tee-time without being disqualified. "When I teed off I didn't think I was going to be playing all 18 holes. I hit a driver down there as far as I usually hit a four iron. But I had to hit one shot before I could get a medical-time out."

Players are allowed ten minutes to be treated and Richardson continued manipulating the injury between shots for the first three holes. "I only carried on because Dale said it would get better. He is a genius at getting players out to play and as long as I am careful how I sleep tonight I am hopeful of playing tomorrow." As it was, Harrington's 74, following a double bogey at the first, was the lowest score of his threesome and left the Irishman at two over par.

Justin Rose shot a 76 after taking double bogeys at two of the hardest holes on the course, the short eighth, where he was in the water, and the 16th, just when he had birdied two of the previous three holes. "I am brain numb," he said. "You just cannot make any mistakes on this course. But with a good round tomorrow I can still finish in the top 10." Earlier in the day he impressively played the last four holes of his second round in one under par for a 73.

A context for his performance was provided by the fact that only four of the European Ryder Cup players made the cut. Of those who did not, Jesper Parnevik, Lee Westwood and Phillip Price failed to break 80 in one of their rounds; Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Niclas Fasth had 79s, and Colin Montgomerie a 78.