Marc Leishman has put himself in with a chance of adding to the golden run of Australian wins on the golf tours of the world, this time at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Florida.

Leishman has already won once on the US PGA Tour in 2020, at the Farmers Insurance Open a month ago.

But the Victorian found himself on top of the leaderboard deep into the third round of Arnold Palmer's tournament today, playing steady golf in conditions that were described as "major championship like", with winds and difficult pin positions.

Tied for the lead through 14 holes, he dropped a shot at the 15th after finding a fairway bunker and missing the green long, but his even-par 72 was enough to get him into a tie for second behind England's Tyrrell Hatton, who birdied the last for a 73.

Hatton leads by a shot at six-under overall from Leishman and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, whose water ball on the 18th hole cost him a share of the lead.

Another Australian, Matt Jones, is tied-ninth through three rounds at even-par.

Leishman, 36, is currently the world No. 21 and in as good a run of form as he has seen. He will play in the final group with Hatton tomorrow.

At Torrey Pines, he sizzled home with a closing 65 for his fifth US Tour victory and he will hope for something similar tomorrow.

Six Australians have won on tour this year: Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee on the European Tour, Leishman, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith on the US Tour and Wade Ormsby in Asia.

Another Aussie, Queenslander Andrew Dodt, leads the Malaysian Open going into today's final round after the third round was wiped out by storms.

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