Phil Mickelson drew back level with Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco got off to a flying start as well when the United States PGA championship resumed in Chicago today.

Mickelson, beaten by three by Woods in their head-to-head clash the first two days, birdied the second, third and fifth holes as Medinah Country Club was there for the taking after overnight rain.

Meanwhile, DiMarco, runner-up to Woods at last month's Open and last year's Masters, charged to eight under and a share of the lead by going to the turn in a dazzling five-under 31.

It was not the world number one they were ultimately chasing, of course. England's Luke Donald, Swede Henrik Stenson and Americans Billy Andrade and Tim Herron led at halfway.

But the title favourite was very definitely Woods after his opening rounds of 69 and 68 left him only one behind.

From the start of the third round it was obviously that low scoring was the order of the day.

American Joey Sindelar recorded only the third albatross in the history of the event.

Among those to survive the halfway cut with nothing to spare on level par, the 48-year-old resumed with two opening bogeys, but then holed a 241-yard three-wood at the par-five fifth.

It was the first albatross in any major since England's Gary Evans in the 2004 Open at Royal Troon and the two previous ones in the PGA were by American Darrell Kestner in 1993 at Inverness and Swede Per-Ulrik Johansson 11 years ago at Riviera.

Sindelar still managed only a 73, but his compatriot Ryan Moore had a 67, Retief Goosen a 68 and Stenson's fellow countryman Robert Karlsson a 69 to improve to three under after also making it to the weekend by the skin of his teeth.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell had to be content with a level-par 72 for one under overall, but Justin Rose turned in 35 and was still three under for the championship with five to play and Swede Daniel Chopra joined the group on seven under with two opening birdies.

He is the player who came into the event only on Monday after Paul McGinley had made the decision to withdraw to attend the funeral of Darren Clarke's wife Heather.

Andrade did not know he was player until Wednesday when Steve Elkington became the seventh of eight players to pull out.

Chopra was playing with Sergio Garcia and he birdied the short second as well to move to six under and well in the hunt on the course where he finished runner-up to Woods seven years ago.

David Howell and Lee Westwood managed 'only' 36 for the front nine and
remained two under and three under respectively.