Third-ranked Lee Westwood's hopes of a charge up the leaderboard at the BMW PGA Championship foundered with a back-nine triple bogey on Saturday, leaving him 11 strokes off the lead after his third round.
Westwood, who only narrowly made the cut at Wentworth, surrendered four shots in a fairway bunker in compiling a seven on No. 13 as the Englishman shot a 2-under 70 to lie on 1 under overall.
With the windy conditions playing havoc, Ian Poulter (69) was the only player among the early starters to shoot under 70. He moved to 3 under but will need the leaders to struggle later Saturday to stand a chance of victory.
James Morrison began the third round with a four-shot lead on 12 under, with Luke Donald and David Drysdale the nearest challengers.
Donald can supplant Rory McIlroy at the top of the rankings with a finish of sole eighth or higher at Wentworth. McIlroy missed the cut after rounds of 74 and 79.
Westwood made six birdies, taking his tally to 18 this tournament, but he has also carded three double bogeys and now a triple over his three rounds.
''I'm just hitting a bit of a pull-hook now and again, which annoys me,'' said Westwood, who lost to Donald in a playoff here last year. ''It's a destructive one. It's my bad shot when I'm not swinging very well and I'm not swinging very well at the moment.''
Westwood almost made up for the seven with a hole-in-one on No. 14 but his tee shot glanced the left-hand edge of the hole.
