PGA NOTEBOOK | From Oak Hill

Weir stays in contention: Mike Weir likes to come from off the pace. "Maybe I'm like Seabiscuit," he said, referring to the great stretch-running horse whose story is a big hit in theaters this summer. "Have you seen that movie, where he gets out in front and backs up a little bit so he can stare them in the eye?" Weir said. Weir was steady, not spectacular Saturday at the PGA Championship and that could be really be bad news for the only players above him on the leaderboard. The left-hander from Canada has six PGA Tour victories and all of them, including the Masters in April, have seen him come from behind in the final round to win. That is far from good news for PGA Championship co-leaders Shaun Micheel and Chad Campbell, whose 4-under 206 totals after three rounds at Oak Hill Country Club were three shots better than Weir. "For whatever reason, I seem to do better from behind and catching up. And that's the position I'm in again," he said. "So we'll see what happens tomorrow, if I can do it again."
Europeans' major drought: Forget about Tiger Woods' Grand Slam slump. The Europeans are in much worse shape. The last player from the continent to win one of golf's four majors was Paul Lawrie of Scotland at the 1999 British Open. If no one comes through at the PGA Championship, Europe's drought will reach 17 tournaments. Woods hasn't won a major since the U.S. Open last year. Alex Cejka of Germany is the only European even in contention at Oak Hill after shooting a 2-under 68 Saturday to tie for fifth place, five strokes off the lead. Only three Europeans have won the PGA Championship, and none since Tommy Armour in 1930. Bernhard Langer wouldn't mind seeing the Europeans' streak broken. "It would be nice," the European Ryder Cup captain said. "We had a few golden years where Europeans won a major every year." From 1984-94, Europeans claimed 11 majors: five Masters and six British Opens. Nick Faldo of England had five of those victories, followed by Sandy Lyle of Scotland and Seve Ballesteros of Spain with two each. The difference back then, Langer said, was that there was a group of Europeans that raised its level of play, including himself, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal. Langer sees the same thing happening now with Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh.