Steele, trying to become the first man to win a grand debut on U.S. soil since Francis Ouimet in the U.S. Open 1913, Dufner, winless in six seasons U.S. PGA, shares the lead with seven-under-par 203 after 54 holes at Atlanta Athletic Club.
"Having the chance to win my first really big is really something special," said Steele. "It was good to play well and roll in some putts and I got in a good position."
No American has won a major title since Phil Mickelson at the Masters 2010, a record six-episode of drought. Six of the top seven players entering the final round of Sunday's final major of the year are U.S. players, but none has owned a major title.
"It seems that international actors have been playing a higher level than the Americans," Dufner said. "Six of the international straights, so this type of sample.
"For me it would be a great position to win this golf tournament. I've been here six years trying to win a tournament."
Keegan Bradley, age 25, USA PGA rookie who won the Texas Open last April, was third at 204 with Scott Verplank, a veteran of 47 years of age, with a victory in the last decade, was another stroke back in fourth.
"I do not feel a day over 100," Verplank said. "I hope to go back a little and go back to when I was 21 when he won everything he played in. Maybe that will happen overnight."
Steve Stricker, who equaled the low round of golf history, with a volume of opening on Thursday 63, was fifth at 206 and the care of inexperienced leaders, veterans lurking at your fingertips and can last four holes cause double bogeys.
"The guys who can come back and have nothing to lose and there is a lot of newbies at the top," Stricker said. "I do not know what I have to go far to find a major champion."
It is beyond DAPuntos, who won his first title in seven seasons on the PGA Tour in February at Pebble Beach, and Anders Hansen of Denmark, who shared sixth at 207.
Defending Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, Australian Adam Scott and John Senden, Robert Karlsson Swedish and American David Toms, who shot the day's low of 65 in the same course where he won the PGA in 2001, were 208.
Schwartzel was bogey with a birdie on the difficult par 3, 15 and three pairs of closure on "some of the toughest I've played. These last four holes are going to decide this golf tournament."
Competitors veterans slapped aside for the last nine holes. American Jim Furyk, the U.S. Open champion in 2003, led twice, but found the water double bogeys in the last four holes to finish six off the lead.
Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, the British occupied the first and second place in the world, stumbled back foot with Furyk. Scott also made a run at the top but will start Sunday five adrift.
"You can make up to six shots in the last four holes, so yes, I think you can make up to six shots in the last round," said Scott. "But I have to play well going to have to get momentum and minimize errors."
Twelve different players have won the last 12 races for the first time the winners have been significant developments over the last six straight and nine of the last 10.
Of the four leaders, Dufner is ranked highest in 80 years, seven points ahead of Verplank. Bradley Steele 108 and 121.
Bradley, four months removed from his first win of the PGA had not seen the course before Monday and was not playing so well before talking to his coach and swing advice during a practice round on Wednesday with Scott Piercy, the last man to make the PGA field by virtue of a victory in Reno last weekend.
"I went to the range and has been slowly getting better and better every day," said Bradley.
The par 4 hole, 18, with water in front of the green, was the hardest hole on the course of the 265-yard par 3 15th hard in second place. The 18 has offered up to 37 double bogeys, 16 high scores and low birdies of course 25.
"Every time you make this difficult holes, which will make for an exciting final, interesting in terms that can have," said Donald, who made a double bogey on 18.
