PALM BEACH GARDENS, 1 Mar 2015 (AFP) - After a near-washout on Saturday it was a busy day at PGA National, and Poulter promptly turned around to start the fourth round in which he was trying to hold off his nearest challengers: Ireland's three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and American Patrick Reed.
Organizers were already preparing for a Monday morning sprint to the finish.
Poulter launched his third round by rolling in a 24-foot birdie putt. He added back-to-back birdies at six and seven, and made a six-footer for birdie at the 12th en route to a nine-under par total of 201.
Harrington, who started the day with a one-shot edge over Reed atop the leaderboard, got off to a slow start with three bogeys in his first 10 holes before his first birdie at the 11th.
He picked up another stroke at 13 and saved par from the water at 18 to keep his title hopes alive with a one-over 71.
Reed carded an even par 70 to join Harrington on 204.
It was a further two strokes back to American Brendan Steele, who had a 71 for 206.
England's Paul Casey, American Phil Mickelson and Scotland's Russell Knox shared fifth on 207 going into the final round.
Leading third-round scores on Sunday in the weather-disrupted US PGA Tour Honda Classic (USA unless noted, par 70, fourth round underway):
201 - Ian Poulter (ENG) 71-64-66
204 - Padraig Harrington (IRL) 67-66-71, Patrick Reed 67-67-70
206 - Brendan Steele 66-69-71
207 - Paul Casey (ENG) 69-70-68, Phil Mickelson 71-67-69, Russell Knox 69-68-70
208 - Jeff Overton 71-68-69, Jim Herman 65-72-71
209 - Joost Luiten (NED) 71-71-67, Daniel Summerhays 71-68-70
210 - George McNeill 72-70-68, Scott Piercy 68-73-69, Daniel Berger 68-71-71, Jason Dufner 71-69-70, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 68-71-71, Luke Donald (ENG) 69-67-74