WENTWORTH — Luke Donald is in pole position to retain the PGA Championship title and return to the top of the world rankings after overnight leader James Morrison suffered a third round meltdown here.

Morrison had been four shots clear after a second round 64, but the world number 236 carded a woeful 81 Saturday to leave him eight strokes behind Donald heading into Sunday’s final round.

As England’s Morrison struggled to recover after a quadruple bogey eight, a triple bogey eight and three other bogeys, Donald made light of testing conditions to take the lead.

His 69 was the joint best round of a windy day and the Englishman is well on course to secure the top eight finish needed to seize the number one spot from Rory McIlroy, who missed a second successive cut on Friday.

The 34-year-old is now 11-under par and two shots ahead of second placed Justin Rose as he bids to follow Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to make a successful defence of the European Tour’s flagship event.Dufner remains on track

Red-hot Jason Dufner remained on track for a third PGA Tour victory in just four weeks by surging into a two-shot lead in Friday’s second round of the Colonial Invitational.

The laid-back American, who won his second title on the US circuit at the Byron Nelson Championship Sunday, fired a flawless six-under-par 64 on another hot and breezy day at the iconic Colonial Country Club.

“I’ve been really, really confident out there, playing some nice golf,” Dufner told reporters after reaching 27 of 36 greens in regulation over the first two rounds. “I just feel really comfortable with my game.

Dufner covered his last nine holes in a sizzling four-under 31 to post an 11-under total of 129, two better than overnight leader and 2010 champion Zach Johnson, who carded a 67.

Fellow Americans Bo Van Pelt (64) and Tommy Gainey (67) were a further two strokes back at seven-under, one better than compatriot Tom Gillis (69). — Agencies