Shane Lowry will have a chance to take a massive step towards winning an automatic Ryder Cup spot on Monday after carding a career-low nine-under 62 in the Northern Trust at Liberty National.

The Offaly man was thrilled to keep his momentum going in New Jersey as he made an eagle and eight birdies, dropping just one shot on a day when he hit the ball so close the longest putt he had to hole was an 11 footer at the 13th.

He was tied for sixth on 13-under, just three shots behind Australian Cameron Smith who had a 12 footer at the last for a 59 but shot 60.

Jon Rahm was among the later starters and looking likely to lead into the final round which has been postponed until Monday due to approaching storms forecast for tomorrow.

“Obviously the score,” Lowry told Sky Sports when asked what had pleased him most about his round. “Just how I played. I said to my manager, Brian yesterday that I missed a short putt on the 12 yesterday to get to five-under for my round and I then I bogeyed the next, an easy par-5. I feel like that is the way my golf is going and that’s been killing my momentum. But I just kept it going today.

“You just have to keep going and keep grinding it out, keep believing in yourself and believing you are doing the right things. I hit the ball so close today, I kept on putting it in the fairway and hitting it close. I didn’t really go for too much, just played sensible golf and hit it very close and hit some good wedges. That was an eight iron pretty stiff on the last and I stiffed it on 17 as well.

“It was a nice round of golf and I am chuffed because I have a lot to play for this week. I need to make it to next week and I want to make it through to Atlanta and I need to make some more Ryder Cup points. So there is an awful lot to play for this week and I am very happy with that.”

Ranked 66th in the FedEx Cup, Lowry was projected to move up to 40th, which would seal his place in next week’s BMW Championship.

“I have been playing good golf for a while and to finish a round off was nice especially after a really bad bogey on 14,” he said. “I laid the sod over a wedge shot and came up 10-yards short of the green. But I’m just pleased. I'm pleased I am up there on the leaderboard. We have a day off tomorrow which works out well for me because the All Ireland Hurling final is on and we will be able to watch that on TV. Monday is going to be a bit windy and rainy so who knows what will happen.”

The Offaly man will likely be cheering for JP McManus’ Limerick rather than Cork but he’s likely not too perturbed and just concerned about rounding off a good week with a rash of Ryder Cup points as he sits in the hotseat at ninth in the standings.

“I will be fine,” he said of his Sunday plans. “I have some good friends in the city so I am sure we will watch the game and go and have lunch. If you are going to have a day off, there are worse cities to be stuck in that New York. I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me or us. We have it good.”

An Irish pub visit was ruled out, however.

“Well no. I will stay away from those.”

There’s still work to be done and that includes Seamus Power and Rory McIlroy who had contrasting days.

Power shot a one-under 70 to share 40th on five-under-par with McIlroy, who posted a 66.

The Waterford man was projected to fall from 73rd to 76th in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning he will miss the second Playoff event next week unless he can find a low final round and move closer to the top 25.

McIlroy is set to fall from 29th to 26th and while he made six birdies in his 66, he remains level par for the par-fives after another bogey six on Saturday.

“I did this in 2014 a lot,” he said. “I put it in position on the fairway and I'd be thinking 3, and I'd make 5 or 6 and I feel like I'm sort of doing that again. So it's almost like just don't be too greedy, play for your 4.

“The thing is, as well, with how some of the green complexes are on par 5s, especially, because it's a par 5 green, you miss it on the wrong side and it's just really tough.”

He has made 16 birdies, more than enough to challenge the leaders. But seven bogeys and a triple bogey have left him in the pack.

“Got off to a better start today obviously and still didn't play par 5s well,” he said. “I played the par 5s at even par or 1-over for the week. You start to play those a bit better and the score all of a sudden goes from, whatever I'm at, 6-under, to double digits, at least, and you're in the golf tournament.

“So that was really the difference. I've putted well the last couple days and I made enough birdies -- I think I've made 16 birdies for the week. Just a few too many mistakes.”