Chopra in duel with Estes for title at Tesoro

MIAMI (Reuters) - Swede Daniel Chopra eyed his maiden PGA Tour title after joining American Bob Estes at the top of the leaderboard in the unfinished Ginn sur Mer Classic third round at Port St Lucie, Florida on Saturday.

Chopra and Estes both birdied the par-five 11th to get to 16 under overall in the Tour's penultimate event of the season before play was suspended for the day in fading light.

"We could have finished (the 12th) if we had to but we didn't need to, it was getting dark," Chopra, 33, told reporters after he and Estes had both reached the green off the tee on the par-three hole.

"There's a lot at stake now as I get closer and closer to that finish line for my first win on the PGA Tour. It's a big thing."

The co-leaders were among 34 professionals who will have to complete the third round early on Sunday.

A stroke off the pace when the rain-delayed second round was finished off earlier in the day, Chopra drew level with Estes after gathering four birdies and a lone bogey in the first 11 holes.

Estes, joint pacesetter with fellow American Tommy Armour III for the first two rounds, ran up five birdies and three bogeys to remain tied for the lead with one day remaining.

American Briny Baird was two strokes back in a share of third after reeling off eight birdies in the first 15 holes, level with Japan's Shigeki Maruyama, after 14.

THRILLING BATTLE