The 34-year-old Gouveia has won seven times on the secondard HotelPlanner Tour but had never before held the 54-hole lead on the DP World Tour, and after a super ‘Moving Day’ effort that could all change on day four of the co-sanctione event.

Once again, poor weather forced a halt to play before passing over the course and thus allowing all 77 players to return and complete their rounds.

Quayle, who secured his playing privileges via the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia earlier this year, posted five birdies and a bogey, taking advantage of the par-three 17th for the third round in a row to join the lead on 13 under par.

Joining the duo atop of the board in the co-sanctioned event was LIV Golf star Puig after he posted six birdies in a flawless 65 at the host Royal Queensland Golf Club.

Former champ and a crowd favourite Min Woo Lee along with halfway leader Japan-born Kiwi Kazuma Kobori are just a shot back sharing fourth place 12-under.

Indeed in a bunched leaderboard there is 14 players within three shots of the lead.

After the opening day was halted by lightning, seven groups were unable to complete their second rounds on Friday and had to return to the course to finish off early on Saturday morning.

Gouveia started brightly, finding birdies on the second and fourth before taking advantage of the par-five ninth to turn in 33.

He made it back-to-back birdies at the tenth, and joined Lee at the summit with a four-footer on the 12th.

The 34-year-old hit the front on his own after birdieing the 13th from six feet to reach 14 under but gave the shot straight back on the next.

A bounce-back birdie at the 15th saw Gouveia regain the outright lead but he bogeyed the 16th to sit in a three-way tie at the top with 18 holes to go.

“I’ve never been in the lead on a Saturday going into Sunday, so it’s going to be a new experience. I’m happy and looking forward to the day.

“I was very consistent off the tee and then I kept hitting greens, which is really important on this course, and holed a few putts, which was great.”

Quayle turned in 33 after picking up shots at the second, third and sixth.

He bounced back from a bogey on the 14th with birdies at the 15th and 17th to join the lead.

“It was a little bit more of a grind today. The first six holes, it felt like business as usual this week and then after the rain delay I just wasn’t quite hitting it my best, was leaking a lot of tee-shots right and I just felt like I was scrambling forever really.

“After what felt like a million pars I made a bogey on the 14th and it kind of just kicked me into gear a little bit.

“I felt like I played really nicely over the last four holes.”

Puig got off to a flying start, birdieing the first and second before making further gains at the seventh, ninth, 13th and 15th.

He said: “I just kind of played steady. You can’t miss second shots here to the wrong side and the pins are really tucked in and then you’ve got to play to the fat part of the green.

“And I think I did that pretty good and that made me have a bogey-free round, first of all, and not have much stress besides two or three holes in the middle.”

• Copy with thanks DP World Tour.