RICKY Barnes further staked his claim to a US Open victory as the third round finally resumed with the major heading for a first Monday finish since 1983.

More heavy rain fell at Bethpage Black overnight, saturating an already drenched course which had flooded on many greens and fairways on Saturday evening, bringing play to a premature end with the third round only just having got under way.

That led tournament officials from the United States Golf Association to suspend play for the day with some players in the remaining 60- man field, including halfway leader Barnes, still not having started their third rounds.

With the storms continuing through the night, and a further three-quarters of an inch of rain landing on the Black course at Bethpage State Park, officials decided to delay play until noon yesterday (5pm BST), pushing fourth-round play back into Monday for the first time in 26 years.

Barnes, starting the day at eight under, moved into a three-shot lead after six holes thanks to a birdie at the second and a 30-foot eagle putt at the fourth.

Despite a bogey at the seventh, Barnes saw his lead stretched to five shots when Glover doubled the same hole with Mike Weir slipping to four under after eight.

Defending champion Tiger Woods began his day 11 shots behind Barnes’ overnight lead and bogeyed the 14th, his fifth of the day, to fall 14 shots off the pace.