Sunday 22 May 2016 22:36, UK
Rory McIlroy bolstered his chances of a first win of 2016 by moving in to a three-stroke lead after a weather-disrupted third day at the Irish Open.
The tournament host, who has missed the cut in his previous three appearances in the event, was two under for the day with three holes to go when play was suspended at 8.45pm.
McIlroy was the only player not to post a bogey in tough conditions at the K Club, where there were two lengthy delays during the afternoon due to the threat of lightning.
Having followed an opening-round 67 with a two-under 70 on Friday to head in to the weekend just a shot adrift of midway pacesetters Willett and Warren, the world No 3 continued to impress in the Kildare rain.
As Warren bogeyed the first after driving in to trees and Willett missed his par-save from three feet at the second, McIlroy briefly took the outright lead in the group behind with a two-putt gain at the fourth.
Willett picked up a shot at the same hole to join McIlroy at eight under, only to bogey the sixth and drive in to the water at the next to hand the Northern Irishman a two-stroke advantage.
The pair exchanged pars over the next two holes to see Willett reach the turn in 37, while Warren continued his slide down the leaderboard with a run of four consecutive blemishes from the fifth.
Five birdies in an eight-hole stretch around the turn parachuted Rafa Cabrera Bello to within one the lead, only for the Spaniard to run up a double-bogey at 17 shortly before play was suspended at 3.27pm.
When the third round resumed two hours and 20 minutes later, McIlroy immediately completed his two-putt birdie at the 10th to extend his advantage to three strokes.
After the pair exchange pars over the next three holes, the siren was sounded again at 6.24pm with McIlroy just off the 14th green, with the world No 3 getting up-and-down to save par when play restarted 90 minutes later.
Sebastien Gros briefly moved alongside Willett in a tie for second with an eagle-three at the 16th, only to run up a quadruple-bogey at the next on his way to a one-over 73.
McIlroy completed just two more holes as more rain fell and the decision was finally taken to abandon play for the day, with Willett three shots behind and Scotland's Russell Knox alongside Richard Sterne another stroke adrift.
Cabrera-Bello bogeyed the last to join the group including Gregory Bourdy and Romain Wattel on three under, with Lee Westwood's two-under 70 leaving him a further stroke back.
Former winner Shane Lowry carded a one-under 71 to leave him alongside two-time Martin Kaymer and defending champion Soren Kjeldsen on one over, while Graeme McDowell slipped down the leaderboard with a third-round 76.
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