US pair lead Bethpage late show
FINAL ROUND LEADERBOARD:
(US unless stated)
-7 R Barnes (after 1 hole), L Glover (after 1) -2 P Mickelson (2), H Mahan (2), R Fisher (Eng, 1), D Duval (2) -1 M Weir (Can, 3) Level T Woods (7) , S Hansen (Den, 5), G McDowell (NI, 4), B Watson (4), R Goosen (SA, 3))
Selected others: +2 O Wilson (Eng, 5), R McIlory (NI, 10) +3 S Garcia (Spa, 7) +5 L Westwood (Eng, 8), I Poulter (Eng, 5)
| By Rob Hodgetts |
 Barnes saw his lead disappear early in the final round at Bethpage |
Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover will resume with a five-shot lead when the final round of the 109th US Open concludes at Bethpage on Monday.
The unheralded Americans are seven under and clear of Phil Mickelson, former world number one David Duval, England's Ross Fisher and Hunter Mahan.
Defending champion Tiger Woods picked up a late birdie to close to within seven as play was halted for the night.
Monday's final round will resume at 0900 local time (1400 BST).
The Monday finish, caused by torrential rain and waterlogging on Thursday and Saturday evening halting play, will be the first time a US Open has overrun since Larry Nelson won at Oakmont in 1983.
Should players be level at the end of 72 holes, an 18-hole play-off will begin immediately after, weather permitting.
The 28-year-old Barnes, who won the 2002 US Amateur, led Glover by one at halfway, but despite forging as much as six shots clear in Sunday's third round, he ended with a level-par 70 to remain one clear of his compatriot going straight into the fourth round.
 | It's going to be pressure-packed Lucas Glover |
But PGA Tour rookie Barnes, ranked 519 in the world, dropped a shot at the opening hole to rejoin Glover and left himself in the rough on the 2nd as the hooter went at 1958 (0058 BST) with some of golf's biggest names massing behind.
"If you don't have a little bit of nerves when you're in the heat of competition, and especially in the last group, you're not human," said Barnes.
The 29-year-old Glover, a PGA Tour winner in 2005, admitted the lead was fragile: "It's going to be pressure-packed. There are too many great players and the golf course is too good."
The popular world number two Mickelson, roared on by the vocal New York crowd who sympathise with the plight of his wife Amy who has breast cancer, leads the pack at two under after parring the first two holes of his final round.
The 39-year-old left-hander, who was second behind Woods at Bethpage in 2002, is a three-time major winner but is eyeing his first US Open title after four runner-up finishes.
 Mickelson is a firm favourite with the New York crowds |
"If I can get a hot round going I can make up the difference. I'm one good round away," Mickelson said after his third round.
Surrey's Fisher and America's 2001 Open champion Duval, who has dropped to 882 in the world, both dropped a shot at the 1st to join Mickelson and US Ryder Cup player Mahan in the tie for third with at least 15 holes remaining.
"I know I've been there before," said Duval, 37, who has spent most of the last eight years in the golfing wilderness. "It's not like a distant memory. I feel comfortable in what I'm doing and confident in what I'm doing and that's all you can ask for."
Canada's 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir is alone in seventh at one under after three, while Woods nudged into the group at level par with a birdie on the 7th shortly before play was suspended in the gloom of Sunday evening.
If he is to clinch a 15th major title, the world number one will have to equal both the US Open 36-hole comeback record of 11 strokes, set by Lou Graham in 1975, and the mark of seven shots that Arnold Palmer clawed back in the final round when he won at Cherry Hills in 1960.
Woods, who began with a bogey but cancelled it out immediately with a 12-footer for birdie, would also become the first man to successfully defend all four majors.
But he will have to achieve another unprecedented feat by winning a first major when not leading or sharing the lead after 54 holes.
"I'm going to have to shoot a low round and probably get some help," said Woods before the final round. "Obviously it's not totally in my control."
Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is also level par overall after four holes, while countryman Rory McIlroy has made up two shots and is two over after 10.
England's Oliver Wilson is two over after five, with Spain's Sergio Garcia slipping to three over after seven.
