Saturday 29 August 2015 23:42, UK
Justin Rose and Luke Donald were the pick of the early starters with strong displays on 'moving day' at The Barclays.
The English pair both produced much-improved third rounds, with Rose posting a seven-under 63 and Donald a 65 to pull themselves a long way up the leaderboard in New Jersey.
Rose had looked in danger of missing the cut after opening the week at Plainfield with a bogey-filled 77, but snuck in to the weekend right on the cut line thanks to a five-under 65 in his second round.
Part of the second pairing out on Saturday morning, Rose picked up three strokes over his opening six holes and left a couple of ten-foot birdie chances short just before the turn before adding four more gains in an impressive blemish-free day.
"Once you start making birdies, the whole thing turns around," Rose told Sky Sports 4. "We had the best of the day today so to go out there and capitalise this morning was important and I couldn't be happier with a 63.
"For some reason, I felt really flat coming in here. I put a lot in to the majors this year and after Whistling Straits, I could have probably done with another week off.
"I just came here and had nothing on the Tuesday, played poorly in the Pro-Am, played poorly on Thursday and it was feeling like hard work.
"In some senses I had nothing to lose on Friday, which freed me up and I found my stride again and started to get my energy back."
Donald, in need of a strong week to break in to the top 100 of the FedExCup standings and keep his season alive, got off to an uncertain start in New Jersey with a three-over 73 in the first round.
After a much improved two-under 68 on Friday, Donald went even lower to post a bogey-free 65 on Saturday to all-but secure his place in the field for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship.
"That was a round I desperately needed after a very slow start to the week," Donald told Sky Sports 4. "I putted really well, kept the ball in play and just put together a very solid round.
"It was good to get some momentum over the past couple of days and today was fun to keep a bogey off my card on this course.
"Obviously the key for me is to always putt and perform very well inside 100 yards, which I'm certainly starting to see signs of. Today I putted really well, was more consistent from tee to green, and putting the two together will help me start stringing some consistent rounds in the 60s.
"It's moving the right way and it's a good time to start playing well! It's an important week with lots of points available. If I can go out there and play a solid round tomorrow, hopefully good things will happen."
Lee Westwood was unable to replicate the performances of his English counterparts, sliding down the leaderboard with a second successive 73.
Despite posting four birdies during his third round, a three-putt double-bogey at the second and a run of three straight bogeys on the back nine leaves him four over for the week.
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