ST LOUIS, Missouri: US Ryder Cup star Jim Furyk followed a course-record eight-under par 62 with a 66 in the third round to nab the club house lead in the darkness-halted third round of the BMW Championship.

Furyk was on 12-under par 198 in the club house after 54 holes with Colombian Camilo Villegas, the lead after the first and second rounds, level with him with five holes to finish in his third round at Bellerive Country Club. Villegas was among 23 players who will have to finish his third round on Sunday morning ahead of the final round of the seven million-dollar event, the South American having completed only 13 holes before sun set.

US journey man Brian Gay is two strokes back with three holes remaining while American Anthony Kim was another shot off the pace with one hole to finish. Tournament organisers followed a rain-out Thursday by scheduling 36 holes on Saturday in hopes of completing a full-length event on time, but a fog delay early Saturday forced the finish to come Sunday morning before the last round.

Furyk’s 28 on the back nine of his second round, highlighted by birdies on the final five holes, sparked his record run. “I tried to pace myself all day, knowing we were going to be out there for 36 holes,” Furyk said. “My goal was to play two solid rounds. It was solid all day, but that one nine holes really leap-frogged me from no where to close to the lead,” he explained.

A five-foot bogey putt at the 18th to end his third round left Furyk in the club house on top even if it wasn’t what he had hoped. “I still walk away in a positive frame of mind,” he said. “I went at the pin with a wedge and it didn’t work out. It’s easy to make mental mistake when you’re tired, when your mind wanders for a little bit. All of a sudden you think, ‘What was I doing there? What was I thinking at that moment?’” he added.

Furyk, who will help the Americans face holders Europe in two weeks at the Ryder Cup, still seeks his first victory of the year. “My putting has been a little inconsistent and earlier in the year my driver was a little inconsistent too,” he said. Villegas found himself fighting the knowledge that he would have to return early Sunday to finish his third round. “We knew we weren’t going to finish, so you just prepare yourself mentally and come back in the morning,” he said. “I’m enjoying playing golf right now. I’m rolling in some great putts and I’m excited about tomorrow.”

Sergio Garcia fired a 69 to stand seven strokes off the pace, although he hit a hole-in-one on the third hole of the second round with a 5-iron from 205 yards, the first ace of his career.