Barnes, Glover share lead

Barnes had led the field by six shots early in his third round but ended it with a one-shot lead. Then, as the players went straight back out to start their final rounds, errant driving saw him give that up, leaving him to go into Monday's final holes level at seven under par with Lucas Glover and in thick rough on the second hole.

Barnes and Glover both shot third-round, level-par 70s, the former to stay at eight under par for 54 holes, one clear of his rival and five ahead of England's Ross Fisher and American former Open champion David Duval.

Both Fisher and Duval bogeyed their opening holes to keep the lead at five shots as play was suspended for the day due to bad light, US Open officials being forced to move their championship into a Monday for regulation play for the first time since 1983. Barnes had threatened to set more records after shooting the lowest 36-hole total in US Open history, 132, after a 65 on Saturday, holding a six-shot lead at 10 under par at the turn of his third round and was going the right way about emulating 2003 Open champion Ben Curtis in making his maiden professional victory a major success.

A long-range eagle putt at the fourth hole sent the 28-year-old to 11 under par, the first man to move into double digits at the US Open since Jim Furyk in the third round at Olympia Fields en route to his victory in 2003.

Yet he unravelled over the back nine to fall back to eight under, with Glover also shooting a 70 to return the leaderboard to the status quo.

Fisher finished strongly, the Englishman sinking a 10-foot birdie putt at 18 for a 69 to move to three under ahead of the re-pairing for the final round, which will see him play with Duval, who also closed with a birdie for a 70 to join him in a tie for third.

That plan did not pan out as Fisher found right rough off the first tee, Duval veering left as both dropped a shot to slip to two under.

Canada's Mike Weir fell back to two under with a 74, where he was met coming the other way by American duo Hunter Mahan, with a 68, and world number two Phil Mickelson, who delighted his big following of fans by sinking a 38-foot birdie putt at the 18th for a 69.

The Americans' status had not changed after playing two holes but Weir had dropped another shot with a bogey at the third.