Barnes looks to hold nerve

The American, looking to record his first tournament victory as a professional in the second major of the year, is tied for the lead at seven under with compatriot Lucas Glover, five shots clear of a gathering pack including Phil Mickelson, David Duval and England's Ross Fisher, and with Tiger Woods looming in the distance at level par.

After nine holes of his third round, though, Barnes had enjoyed a six-shot lead only to see it whittled away to one stroke over a disappointing back nine.

And when Barnes and Glover teed off in fading light to get their final rounds under way at last after a week of disruption, the leader was quickly in trouble off the tee, eventually settling for bogey.

The pattern repeated itself at the second as he sprayed the ball left into thick rough and when the hooter sounded to call play to a halt for the day it could not have come soon enough for Barnes.

"I'll just keep it going," Barnes promised before beginning his final round. "You get these crowds out here, and it feels like Sunday (at a major).

"I got some nerves going and stuff like that. But that's golf. I think if you don't have a little bit of nerves when you're in the heat of competition and especially in the last group, you know, you're not human."

Barnes will now draw on his third-round experience for inspiration when he returns to the fray on Monday morning, with play scheduled to begin at 9am (2pm BST). He had been wayward off the tee but bounced back and he will have to hope for a repeat.

"It was good. I came back pretty good, after those two bad tee shots. I think I hit my next three out of four fairways."

Ominously, he added: "I just have to keep doing what I'm doing. I have to hit fairways and I know I can control it out of there, and I'll be all right if I keep doing that."