Serial contender Marc Leishman hopes his time has come for an overdue title on home soil after a see-sawing third round left a host of stars battling for the Australian PGA Championship.

A two-hour delay after more Brisbane storms served as a handy breather as Leishman, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee and Geoff Ogilvy all charged on a muggy Saturday at Royal Queensland GC.

They'll all be chasing on Sunday though, with Spain's David Puig carding a six-under 65 to finish at 13 under alongside Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia (66) and local hope Anthony Quayle (67), who is debuting Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams on his bag.

Former winners Lee (67) and Scott (66) both surged early and had shares of the lead midway through their rounds before finishing at 12 and 11 under respectively, while Leishman bogeyed the last to sit at 11 under.

Overnight leader Kazuma Kobori, who had a first-round ace, began with consecutive birdies and then mustered 16 straight pars to sit at 12 under.

New Zealand's Daniel Hillier, who sung along to Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline with the crowd on the 17th party hole before draining his long par putt, bogeyed the next to join Leishman and Scott at 11 under.

And former US Open winner Ogilvy, who will captain the International Team at next year's Presidents Cup, had seven birdies in his 66 to push into a stacked top-10 at 10 under.

Defending champion Elvis Smylie shot 66 to be seven under and, like 31 others, within six shots of the lead.

Leishman fell short in a shoot-out with Cameron Smith in 2018 and has finished third in Brisbane the last two years, while also finishing third at last year's Australian Open.

But the former world No.12 and Greg Norman Medallist has never won a major event in Australia.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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"I certainly hope it's my time," he said.

"I can take care of that tomorrow. It's in my hands; if I shoot a low one I'm a good chance.

"But it's a strong field, tough golf course. I'm just excited to have a chance.

"I think someone will go low tomorrow, hopefully it's me."

Four birdies in five holes either side of the turn shot Gouveia into the lead, Lee's par effort on the 14th just missing what would have been a tremendous save after he found the cart path with his tee shot.

Puig, like Kobori, was stealthy in a bogey-free 65 that featured birdies on all three par fives.

The Spaniard knows he'll need something similar to hold off the local favourites on Sunday.

"I assume it's going to play probably a little faster tomorrow, a little firmer, and have pretty tough pins, so probably 17-18 (under)," he said.

"That's been kind of like the number every day pretty much. I would say that number is probably going to be close."