Former world number one Nick Faldo admitted he did not want to stop playing after hitting the best round of the week at the US Open.

Faldo fired a 66 for the 54-hole clubhouse lead at two-over-par 212.

"I would love to be going to the first tee right now, carry on that momentum," Faldo said after his round.

"It would be great to keep that going.

"Now it's time to go home and regroup and get ready for Sunday."

Faldo opened with two birdies on the front nine and birdied three out of four holes starting at the 11th to reach two under.

A bogey at the 15th set him back but the three-time Open and three-time Masters champion followed with a birdie on the par-three 17th, showing what he could do under dry conditions.

"This was as good as my heyday," Faldo said.

"It was as good as 10 years ago, or as good as the 67 at Augusta that won."

That 67 came six years ago, when Faldo came from six shots behind in the final round of the Masters to beat a stumbling Greg Norman and win his third green jacket and sixth major championship.

"I've had my negatives for the last couple of years. I was really down on my game," Faldo said. "I slowly built it back up, but just not as quickly as I wanted."

"If the wind blows the right way for me, you never know," Faldo said.

"You never know what might be in store."

Sergio Garcia paid the price for his complaints at having to play on during Saturday's rain-hit second round, as he faced a rowdy crowd that yelled insults along almost every fairway.

But the Spaniard held his nerve to shoot a three-under 67 on Saturday and move within four shots of Woods.

"No rain today, what's your excuse," someone yelled from the first tee, while others imitated crying babies.

"It was rough out there. But I'm actually glad it happened," Garcia said.

"It helped me mature a lot."

He added: "Even if I don't leave with anything this week, I'm leaving with a lot of new nicknames!"