Rory McIlroy moved into a three-shot lead as the third round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation was delayed by the threat of lightning at The K Club.
The Northern Irishman had moved two shots ahead of nearest challenger Danny Willett at the turn when play was suspended at 3.27pm and picked up another birdie on the tenth upon the resumption at 5.45pm.
But just 39 minutes of play were possible before storms returned to the area and McIlroy was playing the 14th at nine under when the horn was sounded for a second time at The K Club.
Play was then set to resume again at 7.55pm with approximately 90 minutes of daylight available.
Masters Tournament champion Willett came into the day a shot ahead of McIlroy on his first appearance on the European Tour since that sensational win at Augusta National in early April.
The Englishman turned in 37 and then parred the tenth, 11th and 12th after the restart to sit at six under, a shot clear of Scotland's Russell Knox and South African Richard Sterne.
McIlroy had spoken all week of his desire to at last lift a trophy on home soil and this week represents a change in fortune after missing the cut the past three seasons at this event.
Willett dropped a shot on the second after going right off the tee and dropped into a three-way tie for the lead with McIlroy and overnight co-leader Marc Warren - who would drop off the pace with a further five bogeys against a single birdie.
McIlroy then took advantage of the par five fourth to get his nose in front before Willett joined him at eight under with a birdie of his own on the same hole.
Willett found some trouble down the right on the sixth and did well to get up and down to drop just a single shot but then found the water off the seventh tee to make it two bogeys in a row.
Play was then suspended for two hours and 18 minutes with McIlroy on the tenth green and upon the resumption the leader tapped in from three feet to extend his advantage to three shots.
Sterne had been one over for his round when the horn sounded but he birdied the 11th and then holed an excellent long putt on the 12th to move four off the lead.
Knox joined him with a birdie on the 16th after a fortunate bounce off the rocks to sit a shot clear of France's Sébastien Gros and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, who had both completed 15 holes.
Clubhouse leaders Grégory Bourdy and Romain Wattel, who had earlier carded excellent rounds of 68, were then at three under alongside Rafa Cabrera Bello, who dropped three shots in the final two holes of his 70.
