Michael Hoey is two shots off the lead at weather-affected Indian Open

Play suspended due to darkness during third round at DLF Golf and Country Club

Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland during the Hero Indian Open at Dlf Golf and Country Club. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland during the Hero Indian Open at Dlf Golf and Country Club. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Ireland's Michael Hoey is two shots off the lead, and in a tie for fifth, in the weather-affected Hero Indian Open.

Eddie Pepperell holds a share of the lead after 11 holes of the third round at DLF Golf and Country Club.

Pepperell, defending champion SSP Chawrasia and Spain’s Carlos Pigem had all reached six under par when play was suspended due to darkness.

Malaysia's Gavin Green was one stroke behind after chipping in for birdie on the 17th with the last shot of the day, with Hoey and England's David Horsey on four under.

READ SOME MORE

Hoey was through 12 holes on Saturday, following consecutive rounds of 71. Birdies on the fifth, ninth and 11th holes, with a bogey on the 12th, left him two under par when his round was halted.

Pepperell had been one of 66 players forced to complete their second rounds on Saturday morning after more than four hours of play was lost over the first two days due to bad weather.

The 26-year-old, who lost his card last season before regaining it at the qualifying school, played his remaining 16 holes in two under par to join SSP Chawrasia and Danny Chia in the halfway lead.

Chia then moved to the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on the first in round three, only to lose two balls on the second and run up a quintuple-bogey nine.

Pepperell followed five pars with a bogey on the sixth, but bounced back with birdies on the eighth and ninth to boost his chances of claiming a first European Tour title.

“I guess I can take confidence from what I’ve done,” Pepperell said. “I managed to keep my form pretty good all day. I’ll try to do that again (on Sunday).

“The greens are firm, the pin positions are tricky. The greens are like something you would find at Disneyland. It’s difficult. The fairways are tight, there’s no let-up. You need to hit good shot after good shot.

“I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve got a game-plan.”

Paul Dunne finished eleven over par after a second round 83, missing the eight over par cut.