New Orleans: Australian Jason Day and Erik Compton shared the lead on Saturday when the third round of the US PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic was halted by darkness.

Day, ranked sixth in the world, had seized a one-stroke halfway lead earlier Saturday when he completed a second-round 65 for a 12-under par total of 132.

He was one-under par through three holes of the third round while Compton vaulted into a share of the lead on 13-under par thanks to four birdies in his first five holes of the third round.

After weather delays on the first two days, third-round action was halted Saturday for five hours and 43 minutes by more storms.

Organisers managed to get everyone underway before darkness fell, and insisted they hope to get a full 72 holes in and not shorten the event.