Vijay Singh closing on leaders

Before the start of the 87th U.S. PGA Championship, holder Vijay Singh said he did not really care if people paid no attention to him.

For three sweltering rounds at Baltusrol Golf Club, the smooth-swinging Fijian has been the tournament's invisible man, flying under the radar and efficiently going about his business with minimum fuss and fanfare.

The world number two was at his stealth-like best during Saturday's third round, carding 17 consecutive pars before a birdie at the last lifted him to a one-under 69 and a 54-hole total of four-under 206.

Lying just two strokes adrift of co-leaders Phil Mickelson and Davis Love III, he is perfectly placed to mount a last-day charge at Baltusrol's Lower Course.

"I needed one birdie at least, I have never done 18 pars before and I didn't want to do it today," said Singh.

"The leaderboards are all over the golf course, so I just said to myself, hang in there, hang in there and one of these birdies is going to fall sooner or later.

"I didn't play particularly badly but I didn't play that great either," added Singh, who won the U.S. PGA Championship at Sahalee in 1998 and again at Whistling Straits last year.

"I've been driving the ball really well but it was hard work.

"I just wanted to get some kind of momentum going but it didn't look as if it was going to happen.

"Luckily for me it happened on the last hole and that puts me in good shape for tomorrow."

The only noise Singh has made all week was during his pre-tournament news conference on Wednesday when he told reporters he was not going to "get down on my knees" and beg the media to write nice things about him.

That earned the twice PGA champion plenty of advance publicity but, once the championship began, his steady play and rounds of 70, 67 and 69 passed by with very little notice.

While the workaholic Singh prefers to avoid the spotlight, it has been impossible to ignore his form in the build-up to the year's final major.

Three of his four PGA Tour wins this season have come in his last 11 starts, including a successful defence of his Buick Open title two weeks ago in his final tuneup for Baltusrol.

Singh has also been in contention at all three majors this year, tying for fifth at the U.S. Masters and British Open and sharing sixth place at the U.S. Open.

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