Daniel Berger maintains advantage as rain dampens Bay Hill competition.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Daniel Berger’s birdie count diminished even after a rain delay eased some of the challenge at Bay Hill on Saturday. He maintained a two-shot advantage in the Arnold Palmer Invitational when darkness halted the third round.

Berger is set to return Sunday morning to attempt a 35-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th. After observing Akshay Bhatia make a birdie from a bunker to narrow the gap to two, Berger passed the putter to his caddie and opted to wait 13 hours before his next stroke.

Regardless of how the third round wraps up, Bay Hill felt more like a competitive tournament again, rather than the one-man display Berger had established going into the weekend with a five-shot lead.

This will not be the case for Rory McIlroy, who experienced muscle spasms in his back and chose to withdraw approximately 30 minutes prior to his tee time. This marked his first withdrawal from a tournament in 13 years, although it is unlikely to affect his participation in The Players Championship.

Scottie Scheffler likely eliminated himself from contention. The world’s top-ranked player transitioned from a poor start to an impressive back nine featuring five birdies over six holes, only for his approach on 18 from deep rough to ricochet off the bank and into the water.

This resulted in a double bogey and a score of 72, leaving him with what is expected to be a double-digit deficit.

Berger stood at 13-under par — even for the round — though his two-shot lead was anticipated to increase when he returns for that eagle attempt. Bhatia was at 11 under with a challenging finish ahead.

Cameron Young recorded four consecutive birdies to begin the back nine on a Bay Hill course he has frequented since childhood. This led to a score of 67, placing him at 9-under 207 alongside Sepp Straka (66) and Collin Morikawa, who narrowly completed his round before darkness set in with a score of 70.

Young is a true New Yorker, having grown up at Sleepy Hollow while his father served as the head professional. However, the Young family always traveled to Orlando for several months during winter, playing out of nearby Orange Tree and spending time at Bay Hill. He recalls a year when he was close enough to Tiger Woods to touch his golf clubs.

Yet, the deeper connection Young has is with The King. He holds an economics degree from Wake Forest, which is also Arnold Palmer’s alma mater.

“I looked up at his statue on my way to practice every day at school,” Young stated. “He had a significant impact on golf overall, and at Wake Forest. So yes, it certainly holds a very clear significance in my mind regarding what this tournament signifies and what he represents.

“It would be a tremendous honor to even have a chance, honestly.”

Players felt as though they were competing on two different courses. Bay Hill was a formidable challenge before the round was paused for just over an hour due to heavy rain. With minimal grass on the greens — much of it dead — pools of water formed rapidly.

Upon returning, they found the greens slightly softer, making them less intimidating to putt.

“The rain added a bit of friction, allowing the ball to roll more instead of skidding, which is how I would describe it,” Scheffler remarked.

Young noted the change as significant, with enough rain to make the small blades of grass stand upright, allowing putts to maintain their line.

“It transitioned from what we typically associate Bay Hill with on the weekend to just a notch below that,” he explained.

Berger exchanged two birdies on par 5s with two bogeys after missing the green, a stark contrast to the golf that yielded 14 birdies in the first two rounds. Nevertheless, he remained composed and retained his lead.

Much hinges on the putts — or putt — he takes on the 16th and the final two holes to determine how the final round will unfold.

Young is uncertain if it will have an impact.

“Anything can happen,” he said. “I don’t know what Daniel will do, nor do I know where I will finish the day. But whenever you have a golf course this challenging, and this many skilled players within a few shots of each other… any one of them could navigate a tough golf course and make it appear effortless.”