A disastrous back nine for defending champion and overnight leader Steve Stricker has given Australians Jason Day and Robert Allenby a sniff of victory at The Barclays. The event is wide open after a dramatic third round at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey. Stricker saw four bogeys and a triple bogey at the 12th dismantle his three-shot lead in this opening event of the FedEx Cup play-offs. World No.269 Kevin Streelman found himself with the 54-hole lead, one shot in front of a quartet comprising Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir. Early 66s from Allenby and Day left them three shots off the lead in a five-man group alongside FedEx Cup points leader Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera at five under. Fellow Australian Stuart Appleby turned in a round of 70 to be four strokes to the worse of the leader. Stricker finished with a six-over 77 while Hunter Mahan, in second place overnight, shot a 74 as both dropped to a tie for 11th at four under. Twenty-three players are within four shots of Streelman&aposs eight-under-par lead, setting up a potentially exciting final round&aposs play. Stricker, who won the 2007 event at Westchester Country Club before it moved from New York to New Jersey, had been the halfway leader by three shots at 10 under following rounds of 68 and 64. He was going from strength to strength as he reached 12 under for the tournament after three holes of his third round, still three shots ahead of fellow American Mahan, with a chasing group including Casey, Garcia and Singh at seven under. “I made two stupid plays in a row at 11 and 12,” Stricker said. “Really the one at 12 was one of the dumbest plays I ever made trying to do what I did out of the rough there and from that point on it was a struggle to get in.” “Four back, not a good day today. It wasn&apost what I was looking for. I got off to a good start but then just stunk it up.” Third Round of The Barclays (Par 71) -8: Kevin Streelman 67 70 68 -7: Vijay Singh 70 70 66, Mike Weir 72 67 67, Paul Casey 66 71 69, Sergio Garcia 70 67 69 -5: Jason Day (Australia) 74 68 66, Robert Allenby (Australia) 69 73 66, Kevin Sutherland 70 69 69, Kenny Perry 69 67 72, Angel Cabrera 69 67 72 -4: DeanWilson 72 70 67, Jim Furyk 70 71 68, Jeff Overton 74 67 68, Stuart Appleby (Australia) 71 70 68, Briny Baird 69 71 69, Ben Curtis 71 68 70, Patrick Sheehan 69 70 70, Bubba Watson 68 70 71, Anthony Kim 70 67 72, Dudley Hart 67 69 73, Steve Stricker 68 64 77, Hunter Mahan 62 73 74 Also: -3: Matthew Goggin (Australia) 67 74 69 E: John Senden (Australia) 71 70 72, Steve Elkington (Australia) 71 71 71