Lyle six off the pace

Australian Jarrod Lyle is the leading international player at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut after his four-under-par 66 took him to 10-under overall as bad weather once again delayed play.

Lyle had a mixed round that included four birdies, two bogeys and an eagle to be placed in a tie for 12th place, six shots behind leader Paul Goydos.

Greg Chalmers, Nick O'Hern and Peter Lonard are all in a tie for 26th at seven-under, while Mathew Goggin and Nathan Green are a further stroke back.

Goydos was seven-under par after 16 holes of his third round in Cromwell to be 16-under-par and with a one-shot advantage over halfway leader Kenny Perry when the threat of lightning caused a suspension of play late in the day.

Returning to the course after an 81-minute delay, Goydos parred his two remaining holes for a seven-under-par 63.

Perry had a chance to join him in a tie for the lead heading into the final round but he missed a five-foot birdie putt on 18 to card a 66, 15-under for the week and a shot in arrears of Goydos.

The day had begun with 72 players returning early to the par-70 course to complete their rain-delayed second rounds, Perry carrying a one-stroke lead over former US PGA champion David Toms, who was one shot better than Goydos and Ryan Moore.

Moore, coming off a tie for 10th at the US Open last week, joined Perry and Toms in the final group as the field was sent out in threes and from split tees in a bid to catch up.

Perry dropped a shot with a bogey at the par-four second to leave John Merrick, who started the round in a tie for fifth at eight under, in the lead at 11-under after he opened with three birdies.

Merrick was at 13-under before a double bogey at the par-four 12th allowed Perry to reclaim the lead, his five birdies taking him to 15-under.

Perry then stalled with a bogey at the par-four 14th as Goydos took control, four birdies in a row between 13 and 16 catapulting him into the lead at 16-under, his third round featuring eight birdies and one birdie.

Perry bounced back with a birdie at the 15th to get to 15-under with three to go before the suspension while Toms followed Perry in missing a birdie putt at the last, from 21 feet this time, when play resumed.

That left Toms in third place at 14-under, while the break did Merrick no favours as he returned to bogey the final hole for 65 to drop to 13-under in a tie for fourth alongside Casey Wittenberg, who also shot 65.

A 65 for Tag Ridings and a 64 for Bo Van Pelt got them to 12-under with Ben Curtis.

Joint low round of the day with Goydos was 2007 champion Hunter Mahan's seven-under 63, which took him to 11-under, while US Open champion Lucas Glover carded a 65 to finish the day at nine-under.

World No.4 Sergio Garcia of Spain had a patchy, one-over round of 71 featuring an eagle, two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey but he looked safe at three-under par for the week as PGA Tour officials introduced a second cut to reduce the field from the 80 that survived that halfway reduction at three-under par to the top 70 and