Sang-Moon Bae, Jason Day tied for the lead at Barclays

Sang-Moon Bae is making the most of his final weeks before he starts mandatory military service in South Korea.

Bae matched shots with PGA champion Jason Day throughout the third round of The Barclays on Saturday until both finished at seven-under-par 63 and tied for the lead going into the final round at Plainfield Country Club at Edison, N.J.

They were at 11-under 199, one shot ahead of Bubba Watson.

Two shots behind going into the final round was Ryan Palmer, playing for the first time since his father died last week in a traffic accident in Texas. Palmer, who has not had a top 10 since May, caught himself wondering what it would mean to win with a family grieving at home.

“But then I just kind of come back saying, `OK, let’s just hit this shot, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves yet.’ I don’t know what it’s going to be like if it happens,” Palmer said after a 65. “I can’t put into words what it would mean for sure.”

A victory by the 27-year-old Day would be his fourth win of the year, tying him with Jordan Spieth for most on the PGA Tour this year, and allow him to join the race for No. 1 going into the final month of the tour season.

Still, Bae might have the most at stake.

He had been able to avoid his mandatory two-year military service through his PGA Tour career until it was determined that he spent too much time in South Korea last year. He appealed the decision, and the military courts ruled a month ago that he had to serve.

Bae accepted the decision, though he remains in America to finish out the FedEx Cup.

A victory for the 29-year-old would move him to No. 7 in the Presidents Cup standings and assure him a spot on the International team. The Presidents Cup will be played Oct. 8-11 in South Korea for the first time. Even if he doesn’t, he might do well enough to merit a pick by captain Nick Price. That’s assuming Bae would be allowed to compete before the military service begins.

British Open champion Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson each had 67 and joined Palmer at 9-under 201. Former PGA champion Jason Dufner had a 69 and was four shots behind. Ten players were separated by five shots going into the final round.

LPGA

Austin Ernst took the lead at 10 under par before darkness forced the suspension of third-round play in the weather-delayed Yokohama LPGA Tire Classic at Prattville, Ala.

Ernest was one under through four holes after waiting out a five-hour delay for rain and lightning on the Senator Course. She passed second-round leader Yani Tseng, who had a bogey on the fourth hole to drop to nine under.

Champions

Rod Spittle, a 60-year-old Canadian, shot a six-under 66 to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y.

Spittle was at 10-under 134, a shot ahead of Scott McCarron (64) and John Huston (68). Huston, the 2011 champion, is trying to become the first two-time winner in the event that started in 2007.

Spittle, a star at Ohio State in the late 1970s with Joey Sindelar and John Cook, turned pro at age 49 after working as a corporate insurance executive for 25 years. He won the 2010 AT&T Championship, 106 starts ago.