Haven, Wis. ? Whistling Straits suddenly is the least of anyone’s worries. Even more daunting is Vijay Singh in control of his game and in the lead at the PGA Championship.

When his five-foot par putt disappeared into the cup on the final hole Saturday, Singh clenched his fist and raised his putter, the most valuable club in his bag. It took him 54 holes to get the lead all to himself, and it could not have come at a better time — or a better place.

“They have to play one shot better now,” Singh said after a 3-under 69.

Flawless during the final 13 holes as a pack of contenders fell away, the 41-year-old Fijian emerged as the man to beat Saturday, taking a one-shot lead over Justin Leonard on a course that should play right into Singh’s hand.

Leonard had a two-shot lead until he made bogeys on the 15th (518 yards) and the 18th (500 yards), two of the toughest par 4s on the longest course (7,514 yards) in major championship history.

Ernie Els was right there until he started hitting it into the hay, costing him precious shots during the closing holes and leaving him in a large group four shots behind that includes Masters champion Phil Mickelson.

“It will be tense out there,” Singh said. “I’m going to try to beat everybody in the field if I can. I’m in the best position right now to do that.”

He was at 12-under 204, poised to turn a great year into his best ever.

Singh has won the last seven tournaments when he had at least a share of the 54-hole lead, dating to the Houston Open two years ago. And this lead didn’t happen by accident.

Vijay Singh, left, and Justin Leonard study their putts on the 16th hole during the third round of the PGA Championship. Singh led Leonard by a stroke after Saturday's round, and the two will play in the last group during today's final round at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis.

Ditching the belly putter for the conventional length two weeks ago when he won the Buick Open, Singh took only 25 putts in the third round and avoided bogey by lagging his long putts to tap-in range.

Leonard was at 205, giving him a third chance at winning the PGA. The former British Open champion drove into a bunker on the 15th and could not reach the green, and came up short with a 3-iron on the final hole, going into a bunker and making a nice two-putt for bogey.

“Vijay is an incredible player,” Leonard said. “It’s going to be a fun day. I get to go head-to-head with one of the best players in the world, if not the best player in the world. At the same time, I have to play a Pete Dye golf course that’s pretty difficult.”

It proved plenty difficult down the stretch for Els, Briny Baird and even Mickelson, although all of them are very much in contention.

Els, one of four players with at least a share of the lead at one time Saturday, narrowly missed four birdie putts on the back nine and it caught up with him when he started missing fairways.

The Big Easy had to made a great up-and-down on the 18th from some 60 yards for bogey, giving him a 72 and leaving him in a large group at 8-under 208 that included Mickelson (67), Darren Clarke (72), Stephen Ames (69) and Chris Riley (69), who is trying to sneak his way onto the Ryder Cup team.

Chris DiMarco had a 71 and was another shot behind.

Tiger Woods was poised to at least get into the picture until he lost his momentum with the click of a camera on No. 7, then failed to make birdie on the back nine for a 69. He was nine shots behind, and almost certain to end a 10th straight major without winning.

Singh cannot replace Woods at No. 1 in the world — he needed Woods to miss the cut — but he can put a stamp on an amazing career with a victory today at Whistling Straits. It would be his 20th career victory on the PGA Tour and third major, credentials worthy of the Hall of Fame.

Singh kept Leonard in sight with a 10-foot birdie on No. 10 and an eight-foot par save on the next hole, then pulled even on the long holes where Leonard struggled.

“I knew those last four holes would be very tough this afternoon,” said Leonard, noting that all of them played into a slight breeze. The forecast is for slightly stronger wind in the final round.

Equally important as taking the lead, Singh had a four-shot advantage on everyone else.

“That putt on the last meant a lot,” the Big Fijian said. “Being four ahead of the pack, they’ve got to play one shot better to catch me now.”