Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland were two of five players tied for the lead when darkness again halted play in round three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after another fog delay in the morning at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates.
Branden Grace of South Africa, Joost Luiten of the Netherlands and Ian Poulter of England also had a share of the lead at 10-under-par.
“It’s a really bunched leaderboard,” said McIlroy, who finished a second-round 2-under-par 70 with birdie-eagle and then was 2-under through nine holes of round three. “It will be a bit of a sprint to the finish.”
Fowler shot 68 in the second round and was 4-under through 11 holes of round three, while Grace bounced back from a 74 to play 16 holes in 6-under, Luiten had a 68 and was 3-under through 10 holes and Poulter posted a 69 before playing 13 holes in 5-under.
Andy Sullivan of England, the 36-hole leader at 67-67, was two strokes ahead until hitting his drive into a bush on the ninth hole of round three, his last of the day, and taking a triple-bogey 7 as darkness closed in.
Sullivan dropped to one stroke back in a tie for sixth that included Henrik Stenson of Sweden, who posted a 72 before playing 10 holes in 2-under.
Top-ranked Jordan Spieth struggled to a 73 in round two but came back with a 68 and was three strokes behind in a tie for 15th that included Martin Kaymer, who carded a second 69 and was 1-under through 12 holes, and amateur Bryson DeChambeau, who shot 72 in round two before playing nine holes of round three in 1-over.
