McIlroy from the sand at six and he'll have that for par, from about six feet. Not a gimme by any means. Ilonen very nearly makes his longun disappear at 10 but he'll tap in to stay -11. Wiesberger, now, with a right-to-lefter from 10 feet at six... misses right, shot gone...

Some of you may have noticed Ian Poulter vented his anger at a major airline on social media this week after claiming a booking he made was changed at their discretion.

His frustration with the error and some negative comments about his own reaction crept onto Twitter throughout the tournament but it seems he is now in the mood to make light of it. Or at least Graeme McDowell is.

McDowell tweets:, external "Is that Ian Poulter sitting back in coach? #downgrade."

Image source, Graeme McDowell

Poulter finished even par for the tournament, McDowell meanwhile was one under.

Many thanks JJ, this is Ben Dirs through to the close. You join me as Henrik Stenson is finding sand off the tee at eight, before Ilonen shanks his right of the green. Schwartzel birdies the last and is in with a 66 for the clubhouse lead on nine under.

No problem for Stenson. The Swede knocks in a four to go four under for the day and tie with Fowler at the top. Meanwhile, it isn't getting any easier for McIlroy...

Image source, Getty Images

Up ahead on seven, Henrik Stenson carries the water with a spectacularly long second shot, before rolling his eagle putt close for an almost-certain birdie. That would put him alongside Fowler....

Mickelson could get out of a jail with that wedge. He's lethal. Lefty dinks his third down slope and within five foot, before Fowler goes inside his playing partner with the putter.

Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler are matching each other almost ball for ball out there in the Valhalla sunshine. After Day and Oosthuizen finally leave the sixth green, the American pair both push their second shots into the closely-mown collection area to the right. The 495-yard par four has been difficult all week, with only 20 birdies being sunk.

Jay Townsend
Former European Tour golfer on BBC Radio 5 live

"If you're a slow player, playing alongside Sam Torrance back in the day, he would have a word with you. Nowadays the players aren't policing themselves."

Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler caught up with Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen on the fifth and sixth, joined shortly afterwards by Rory McIlroy and Bernd Wiesberger as the players battle the high humidity.

Meanwhile, about 500 yards behind him, Rory McIlroy waits patiently on the tee as a backlog starts to develop on the sixth. Frustrating, especially when your overnight lead has already disappeared...

A monster of a putt for Jason Day on six - he's about 30 yards away! I'd need a wedge from there. He thumps it over the hill, at a perfect speed, but it stays right to leave him with a gettable par putt. A wonderful effort by the Aussie.

Ian Poulter, after a one over 72 to finish level par, groaning about the conditions at Valhalla: "We pretty much took relief on every fairway and twice we had to take relief from the fairway into the rough," he moans.

"It was laughable in the end. We couldn't even see anything apart from water. Most guys had to change outfits. There's only so much water an umbrella can keep off you."

Image source, Getty Images

Ernie Els is still trying to tear up that record book, firing a bold birdie putt at the 14th pin. It swirls round from right to left but refuses to drop. He stays at 11 under, two behind Fowler, with a three.

Meanwhile, on the par-5 10th, that mysterious Frenchman - Victor Dubuisson - knocks in a chip for an eagle three. Va va voom!

McIlroy is short of the flag, on the left fringe close to the bunker and (inspired by the pair of Fowler and Mickelson ahead of him?) goes with the chip and run. The world number one can't match his American rivals though and comes up short. Wiesberger steadies himself for a short-par putt - and makes no mistake. Neither does Wee Mac. Decent up and downs for the last pairing - they remain one behind Rickie Fowler.

Jay Townsend
former European Tour golfer & BBC Radio 5 live pundit

"Around the green, shots off the grass, Phil is the best of all time. He's also a great playing companion. Even if he's trying to beat you, he'll do everything he can to help Rickie Fowler win."

Forget that top drawer, Rickie Fowler has gone to the 'special' cupboard! The American dinks one from the edge, it's perfectly weighted and drops into the cup to the delight of the whooping gallery. Even Mickelson breaks out into a grin.

Fowler has the outright lead!

Only two men in the top 30 are over par in their final round - and one of those is Rory McIlroy. After a long wait on the fifth tee, the Northern Irishman tears his drive down the middle.

But it is all going off in front of him. Phil Mick - that wedge magician - chips within a tap in of a par. What has Fowler got in his short game locker?

American pro Ben Crane tweets:, external Of all the "grow golf" initiatives out there, I think having Phil, Rory and Rickie tied for the lead at a major is the best idea yet.

Image source, Getty Images

Seeing an overhead shot of the fifth fairway, where Mickelson and Fowler size up their approach shots, makes it scarcely believable that there were ponds of water on the course about two hours ago.

Not good news for Lefty. His downswing is a little steep and the closed face of his mid-iron means he has to give a big shout of 'Fore!". His ball plonks on to the heads of the crowd gathered to the right of the green. Fowler deliberates long and hard before pushing his second a touch right too. He's on the fringe though.

On four, it is a par apiece for McIlroy and Wiesberger, who has made a solid start with a quartet of evens. He's handling the pressure better than his playing partner at the moment.