THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD US unless stated -9 Padraig Harrington (Ire), Jim Furyk -7 Brad Faxon, Brian Gay -5 Vijay Singh (Fij), Kenny Perry, John Senden (Aus) -4 Dean Wilson, Pat Perez, Brett Quigley, Len Mattiace

Harrington had six birdies, including two in the closing three holes, at the Westchester Country Club.

Furyk, who led for the first two rounds, needed to get up and down from the sand for a birdie at the last.

Brad Faxon had seven birdies in a 66 to share third two back, while Vijay Singh's 69 left him four off the pace.

Both Harrington and Furyk have been beaten in play-offs in previous years at this event, the Irishman losing to Sergio Garcia last year.

Furyk, searching for his first win for two years, lost a play-off in May to Singh, the man Harrington beat to win his first US tournament earlier this year.

Former US Open champion Furyk dropped a shot at the 15th after sending a wedge short into a greenside bunker, but atoned at the next with a two, before completing a round of 70 with his third birdie.

"I thought it played more difficult than the first two rounds," said Furyk, who returned to the tour last year after wrist surgery.

"The back nine was playing very demanding.

"The greens were almost turning white at the end, everywhere you stepped you could kind of see your footmarks, not because they were soft, but because they were stressed out."

Harrington, who has won nine times on the European Tour, was in the group ahead of Furyk and holed a 30-foot birdie chip from the fringe on the par-3 16th to take the lead.

The American holed from nine feet when he played the hole moments later.

"Jim Furyk is always going to be good and steady, so I've got to go out and play better. That's it," Harrington said.

Faxon, 43, who last won at the Sony Open in 2001 has had only one top-10 finish in 16 events this season.

"You think you should eat this place up, but nobody does," he said.

Singh, who won the tournament in 1993 and 1995, was tied for the lead at eight under after 12 holes, but double-bogeyed the 13th.

Australian John Senden was another to briefly share the lead, but after reaching nine under he bogeyed four of his closing 13 holes.

Garcia had only one birdie in his third round 73 and a double bogey and a bogey in the space of three holes left him at three over for the tournament.

Ryan Moore, who needed a birdie at the last in round two to make the cut in his first professional event, had two bogeys on each nine but holed his second for an eagle at the 10th en route to a 73 that leaves him five over.