Australia's Geoff Ogilvy has roared into contention after the third round at the PGA Memorial Tournament at Muirfield, Ohio on Saturday, after carding a stunning nine-under par 63 to sit just two shots off the lead.

Ogilvy, who moved up to fifth on the leaderboard, fired nine birdies in a near flawless round to trail Americans Matt Bettencourt and Mark Wilson, who are joint leaders going into the final day, and Jonathan Byrd and Jim Furyk who share second spot.

Fellow Australians Rod Pampling and Kevin Day, who were three shots off the lead after the second round, had disappointing days shooting scores of 74 and 75 respectively to slip out of contention.

Pampling is now seven shots off the lead with Day eight off the pace.

Robert Allenby fired a four-under par 68 for a share of 27th along with a cluster of players including Mathew Goggin who scored 70.

World No.1 Tiger Woods recovered from his worst score in two years on Friday to fire a four-under par 68 to finish the day four shots off the pace.

Wilson, who bounced back for a 69 after opening with three bogeys, joined Bettencourt on nine-under par 207 after 54 holes at the $US6 million($A7.48 million) event hosted by Jack Nicklaus, a key warm-up event for the US Open.

Americans Jim Furyk and Jonathan Byrd, co-leaders when the round began, each fired 71s to stand one stroke off the pace with Ogilvy and American Davis Love another stroke off the pace.

Woods, South African star Ernie Els and Americans Michael Letzig and Matt Kuchar shared seventh on 211, four off the pace but lurking within reach for the final round.

Bettencourt answered a bogey at the par-three fourth with birdies on the next four holes, including the par-five fifth and seventh and par-three eighth, and followed a bogey to open the back nine with birdies at 11 and 12.

Shrugging off the tension of contending for a title among some of the game's greats, Bettencourt followed a bogey at 14 with birdies at 15 and 17 before a bogey at 18 cost him sole possession of the lead.

"It's a challenge," Bettencourt said. "You've got to go out and have fun, play like you do at home, bring the same attitude. It will pay off. It is an adjustment. I will try to keep myself on the golf course and see what happens."

Bettencourt shared 22nd at Charlotte last month for his only top-45 finish in 16 starts this year.

Wilson, who won in 2007 at Los Angeles and three months ago in Mexico, could claim a US Open berth with his second title of the year in his 175th career start, but he must shake off the nerves that led to a bogey-bogey-bogey start.

"I got off to a bad start. A couple things didn't go my way," he said. "But it was nice to hang in there and get it going. I feel pretty comfortable.

"I was nervous this morning. That showed in the first three holes. I know it's a long round on Sunday. If I start with three birdies I still have 15 more holes to go."

Woods began with a bogey but recovered with birdies at the second and fifth holes, then eagled the par-5 11th and added birdies at 14 and 15 before falling back with a bogey at 17.

Byrd joined Furyk in third by knocking his approach at the 18th inches from the pin, completing a comeback to 71 after taking a triple bogey on the fourth hole.

AFP