By Steve Keating
PEBBLE BEACH, CA. (Reuters) - Gary Woodland's quest for a first major continued, while Tiger Woods's bid for a 16th faded, at the U.S. Open on Saturday.
Woodland, who began the third round with a two-shot advantage over Justin Rose, will hope to get his round off to a brighter start than Woods after watching him open with bogeys on two of his first three holes to slide out of contention.
Woods, nine back to start the day, began his round in the same frustrating fashion that he ended the second round -- with a bogey.
Fuming after closing bogey-bogey on Friday, Woods did nothing to improve his mood when he hit his opening drive into the heavy rough and quickly dropped a shot to go two over.
There was more trouble at the third when Woods plunked his approach into the greenside bunker and two-putted for another bogey.
The early miscues appeared to fire up the 15-time major winner, and Woods responded with back-to-back birdies at four and five but the relief was only temporary as he gave back those two shots with bogeys at seven and 12.
Woods still has holes to play but at two over and 11 off the pace his chances of adding a 16th major are remote.
With no-one making a big charge on what is known as Moving Day, Woodland teed off with his two-shot cushion over Rose intact.
Rory McIlroy, riding the momentum from a rampaging win at the Canadian Open, survived a roller-coaster second round to sit four off the lead but the Northern Irishman gave himself more to do after a bogey at the first to slip back.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)