Chaska, Minnesota (AP) — A cautious Tiger Woods saw his lead trimmed to two strokes after Saturday's third round of the PGA Championship, but remained the player to beat as he chased a 15th career major crown.

Woods, who began the day with a four-stroke edge, fired a one-under par 71 to stand on eight-under 208 through 54 holes while defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland and South Korea's Yang Yong-Eun shared second on 210.

"The narrower the gap the better," Harrington said. "To get a win you have got to beat him by three tomorrow. That's a tall order but everybody who is behind is going to think we have nothing to lose."

World number one Woods, four shy of the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, has never lost a major when leading after 54 holes. Overall, Woods has 47 wins in 50 events when at least tied for the lead after 54 holes.

"I've played well to get myself in those positions and am fortunate to have won most of those events," Woods said. "You have to go out there and compete. That's what's so much fun about it."

Woods, who missed an eight-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole, was careful to avoid a costly mistake in breezy conditions at Hazeltine, the longest course in major golf history at 7,674 yards.

"I just felt with my lead I would err on the side of caution most of the time," Woods said. "I was pretty consistent all day. Given the conditions and my position in the tournament I didn't mind it."

Hazeltine has thwarted Woods before. He birdied the last four holes here at the 2002 PGA Championship but lost by a stroke to US journeyman Rich Beem.

Yang, who has a chance to become Asia's first major champion, matched Woods for the week's low round with a 67. Harrington had a 69, a bogey at the 18th dropping him two off the pace to put Yang into the last pairing with Woods.

"Y.E. played just a great round of golf. Paddy put himself right back in the tournament," Woods said. "It'll be a fun day tomorrow."

Yang, who has shaved three strokes off his score each day, birdied three of the last five holes on the front nine and followed his lone bogey at the par-3 13th with birdies on the next three holes.

The 37-year-old from Seoul beat Woods at Shanghai in 2006 but they were not paired together for the last round with a huge crowd such as Sunday will bring.

"I'm nervous but I have been looking forward to this," Yang said. "If I could concentrate and keep my flow, not get caught up in all the rhythm and just keeping playing the game, I think I will be fine."

Yang won his first US PGA event at this year's Honda Classic. Woods won his 70th PGA title last week.

"He has won 70 times. I've only won once. So 70-1 odds," Yang said. "I might as well go for broke."

Woods has won four Masters titles, three US Opens, three British Opens and could take his fifth PGA Championship to match the all-time record shared by Nicklaus and Walter Hagen.

But if Woods does not hoist the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday, this will be the first year since 2004 in which he has not won a major title.

Woods birdied the second hole, lipped out from three feet at the fourth for a bogey and bladed a chip shot 15 feet from the edge of the green into the cup for a birdie at the 14th.

"I couldn't get a putter on it and I couldn't chip it," Woods said. "My only hope was to get a blade on it and hope it jumped and it did, bumped up and went straight in."

Scattered thunderstorms are in Sunday's final-round forecast.

"It all depends on the weather, how much rain we get overnight," Woods said. "I think the greens are going to get softer. If it becomes softer the fairways get bigger and you can get more aggressive going at some of these flags."

US Open champion Lucas Glover and Sweden's Henrik Stenson share fourth on 212, one stroke ahead of South African Ernie Els and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen. Three-time major winner Els sank a 50-foot birdie putt from off the 12th green.