Colin Montgomerie last night posted his worst round in America of 12-over-par 82 to leave him 16 strokes adrift of US PGA Championship leaders Phil Mickelson and Australian Rod Pampling.
Mickelson, playing his 46th major and hoping to make it into the winner's enclosure for the first time, reached five under with five to play, but finished with a bogey to fall back alongside Pampling.
Queenslander Pampling is best remembered for leading after the first round in the 1999 Open at Carnoustie and then missing the halfway cut.Montgomerie, however, returning to the Oak Hill course in Rochester, New York, where he helped Europe win the Ryder Cup eight years ago, handed in a card that was four more than his previous highest in the event.
It was not quite his worst score in a major, though. That remains his horror 84 in the third round of the Open at Muirfield last year.
He was not alone in struggling. Defending champion Rich Beem also shot 82, Darren Clarke had a 79, Open runner-up Thomas Bjorn a 78 and Justin Rose a 77.
Tiger Woods, major-less this season, managed a 74, while shock Open champion Ben Curtis bogeyed the first four holes and had to battle for a 75.
Padraig Harrington, Europe's top player in the world, had four successive bogeys himself from the fifth, but played the rest in two under for a 72. Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia matched that to be the best of the 29-strong European contingent, but they are already six behind.
Paul McGinley, the other Irishman in the field, and Londoner Brian Davis shot 73, while Gary Evans came in four over.