Shane Lowry of Ireland held a two-shot lead over Andrew Landry when the third round was suspended by darkness in the rain-delayed 116th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.
Lowry was 3-under through 13 holes in round three and 5-under for the tournament.
Play will resume in round three early Sunday morning and the final round will begin soon after all players finish 54 holes, in hopes of getting in 72 holes later in the day.
In the case of a tie, U.S. Open rules stipulate an 18-hole playoff on Monday.
“This is exactly where you want to be,” Lowry, who won the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational for his only PGA Tour victory, said after he collected five birdies and two bogeys before the horn blew.
“I’ve been beating myself up over the last six months trying to get in this position.”
Landry, playing in his first major after making his way through qualifying, was even par for 13 holes in the round when play was halted.
Lee Westwood of England was 1-under after 13 holes in the third round and three shots back in a tie for third with Sergio Garcia of Spain, who was even after 13 holes, and 36-hole leader Dustin Johnson, who was 2-over after 12.
Branden Grace of South Africa was four strokes behind in solo sixth after recording six birdies in a 66, while Scott Piercy was another shot down in seventh at 2-over for his round after 13 holes.
Top-ranked Jason Day of Australia climbed the leaderboard with a 66 and was six strokes behind in a tie for eighth with U.S. Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau, who had a 70, Zach Johnson, who was 1-over for 17 holes of round three, and Daniel Summerhays, who played 14 holes in 2-over.
Second-ranked Jordan Spieth carded a 70 and was nine shots behind in a tie for 29th.
