PHILADELPHIA (AFP) — Ireland's Shane Lowry and Austrian Sepp Straka dueled down the stretch to emerge tied for the lead through 54 holes at the PGA Tour Truist Championship on Saturday, three strokes clear of their nearest rivals.

Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, conjured five birdies with two bogeys for a three-under 67 and a 14-under total of 196.

Straka also found five birdies with just one bogey, posting a four-under 66 at a wind-whipped Philadelphia Cricket Club -- the pair setting up a Sunday showdown of European Ryder Cup teammates.

"It's great to see the way the conditions come into it today," Lowry said.

"It was very tough today in those winds, particularly tough to hole putts."

American Keith Mitchell started the day with a one-shot lead and settled for a one-over 71 that left him tied for third with compatriot Justin Thomas, who curled in a tough birdie putt at 18 to cap a four-under 66 to join Mitchell on 11-under.

Lowry shot out of the gate with birdies at the first and second. He bounced back from a bogey at the seventh with birdies at the ninth and 10th — where he blasted out of a greenside bunker and rattled in a 17-foot putt.