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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - After making consecutive birdies, Honda Classic leader Rory Sabbatini stood in the rough along the sixth fairway, complaining to a PGA Tour official about a delay in play and wondering what had become of the group just ahead of him.

The strange interruption could have halted Sabbatini's momentum. Instead, after a long wait he hit an iron 200 yards to 10 feet of the pin, one of his better shots among the 66 Saturday that gave him a cushy lead.

Sabbatini will enter the final round at 9-under 201, five shots ahead of Jerry Kelly and 2009 winner Y.E. Yang.

The wait at No. 6 occurred when Kelly, playing two groups ahead of Sabbatini, lodged a shot in a palm tree. A newspaper photographer's zoom lens was used to identify the ball as Kelly's, allowing him to avoid being penalized for a lost ball.

The inspection took time, so the twosome behind Kelly played through. Meanwhile, Sabbatini and playing partner Kyle Stanley waited and wondered how they had caught up with Kelly.

``It was a little bit of dazed and confused,'' Sabbatini said. ``We're like, `OK, where did he come from?' And we're trying to figure out what's going on.''

A South African who lives in Fort Worth, Texas, Sabbatini's known for his feisty manner and candor on any topic - even Tiger Woods. But nothing has riled him up this week, and he tried to look at the delay as something positive.

``Actually, I think maybe that might have helped me slow down a little out there,'' he said. ``It allowed me to back off a little bit and kind of refocus again. So I think that was a good thing.''

Yang birdied the last two holes for a 3-under 67 and moved into a tie for second with Kelly, who shot a roller-coaster 68. Gary Woodland also had a 68 and was fourth, six shots behind. Second-round leader Stanley had a 74 to drop seven strokes back.

Sabbatini, who changed putters this week, made birdie putts of 2, 40, 12, 18 and 18 feet.

``I've been putting well all year; I just didn't feel like I was making anything,'' he said. ``Sometimes just changing the look of things, changing the feel of things, can kind of just spur something.''

With his new mallet-style putter, Sabbatini had the lowest round for the second day in a row after tying the tournament course record with a 64 Friday.

Sabbatini has won five PGA Tour titles, most recently at the 2009 Byron Nelson Championship. But he's perhaps best known for once calling Woods ``more beatable than ever,'' long before the sex scandal that sent Woods' career off track.

Sabbatini said he dislikes being cast as a villain, which may be why he switched from Friday's wide-brimmed black hat to a white one. He said he hadn't decided what color to wear Sunday, but regardless, he'll be wearing a target as the leader.

Given the tough course and conditions at PGA National, Kelly doesn't consider his five-shot deficit insurmountable.

``It's catchable in three holes,'' he said. ``You never know what three holes they may be. You've just got to play solid, get some birdies, and you never know.''

Sabbatini's take on being the front-runner: ``You'd better be able to run faster if you're being chased.''

Windy conditions have made pars precious all week, and weather will likely be a factor again Sunday. With thunderstorms in the forecast for the afternoon, tee times for the final round were moved up.

Sabbatini, Kelly and Yang will tee off last. Kelly, a Wisconsin native and a former hockey player who can get feisty himself, played with Sabbatini just last week at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

``We always have a good time together,'' Kelly said. ``Him talking it up doesn't bother me, because I tend to do the same thing.''

Lee Westwood, who fell to No. 2 in the rankings this week behind Martin Kaymer, was tied for 30th at 4 over after a 75. Westwood must finish alone in third place or better to regain the top ranking next week.

First-round leader Spencer Levin was tied for 16th at 2 over after a 73.