(Reuters) - Brandt Snedeker held a three-stroke lead at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina on Saturday when the third round was suspended due to bad weather.
Snedeker had made two birdies in seven holes when nearby lightning prompted the stoppage and the weather prevented the action from resuming at the Sedgefield course in Greensboro.
The 30 players who did not complete the round will resume at 8 a.m. local time (12000 GMT) on Sunday, and officials expect to have the tournament completed by the scheduled finish.
Snedeker, on 16-under-par, leads by three from Brian Gay, who had completed 12 holes, with four others on 12-under.
Snedeker knows he will have to keep attacking to hold off the charging pack on a course that invariably yields low scores.
"If I get to 22-under-par, I think it's hard for other guys to get there," said the eight-times PGA Tour winner.
"I'm not saying it can't happen, but that number seems to hold up here pretty well, so that's kind of the number I have in my mind."
Snedeker, who shot a 59 in the opening round before adding a 67 on Friday, made an unlikely birdie at the second hole on Saturday when his 60-foot downhill putt from off the green went in at considerable pace, the cup providing a perfect backstop.
"I was just trying to get close and got lucky there, made a bomb and got some good momentum going," he said.
"Played some solid golf after that, nothing great. Didn't hit enough fairways really to have a bunch of birdie opportunities, but kind of managed it really, really well.
"So two-under-par through seven holes and still got a lead, that's all positive."
He picked up another stroke at the par-five fifth, where he drained a 10-footer.
Michael Thompson was the clubhouse leader at 11-under after shooting 63, while Spaniard Sergio Garcia was also on 11-under after nine holes.
Snedeker is prepared for a long Sunday.
"Somebody's going to make a run and go really low and my job is to try to match that as best I can," he said.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
