By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent, Minnesota

Ireland's Padraig Harrington is battling an ankle problem as he tries for his first major title.

Harrington kept his hopes alive with a one-under-par 71 in the United States PGA championship at Hazeltine National on Thursday night.

But he said afterwards: "That's the worst I've played for a long time. I hit it all over the place, but holed everything.

"I twisted my ankle at the Dutch Open (three weeks ago) and although I've been getting treatment it's flared up again.

"I can walk fine, but I'm getting a few darts of pain and sub-consciously I can't transfer my weight as I'm swinging."

Harrington has finished fifth, eighth and fifth in the first three majors of this season, missing the Open play-off last month only by bogeying the final hole.

His 71 was good enough for a share of 11th spot overnight - in a group which also includes Nick Faldo.

Two over after four holes, the 45-year-old was delighted with his recovery in the gathering evening gloom.

Faldo was paired with former winner John Daly, whose 77 included a septuple bogey 11 on the 402-yard 16th.

Daly, who has also had double figure scores at the Open and US Open, hit two drives into the lake, then went left with his fifth shot and back into the water with his seventh.

"I wasn't counting because I wasn't the one marking John's card, but you don't like to see that," said Faldo, who praised Daly for plugging away on the 11 holes he had left.