Tom McKibbin held a one-shot lead when storms brought a disjointed opening day of the Husqvarna British Masters to an early finish at The Belfry.

The Northern Irishman reached 5-under through 13 holes before the hooter sounded at 7.11pm, the third suspension of a day disrupted by lightning, heavy rain and flooded bunkers.

England’s Joe Dean was 4-under after 13 holes, while Spain’s Nacho Elvira matched that score through 12.

Dylan Frittelli, Francesco Laporta, Oliver Lindell, Antoine Rozner, Marcel Schneider and Johannes Veerman were another shot back at three under.

McKibbin takes lead after delays

McKibbin began his round from the tenth tee and was level par through two holes when play was suspended for the second time.

Once the players returned, he capitalised on The Belfry’s par5s. Birdies at the 15th and 17th took him to 2-under before a long putt dropped at the 18th for his third gain.

A precise approach into the first set up another birdie, and McKibbin then picked up a shot at the par-5 third to complete a 5-under stretch across seven holes. He remained there when deteriorating weather forced the players off the course again.

Dean, playing in the group immediately behind McKibbin, recovered from a bogey at the 14th with birdies at the 15th and 17th. Further gains at the 2nd and 3d followed an earlier birdie on the 13th, leaving him at 4-under.

Elvira opened his scoring with a birdie at the 3rd before producing three consecutive gains from the 10th. The final suspension ended his run, although it had already taken him into a share of second place.

Flooded bunkers force lengthy stoppages

The first delay arrived just two minutes after the opening tee shots because of lightning. Players returned for 94 minutes, but the volume of rain left bunkers unplayable and caused another suspension lasting four hours and ten minutes.

Tournament director Ben Groutage said the wider course had coped with the conditions despite the concentrated rainfall.

“They have done a great job on the course,” Groutage said. “Tees, fairways and greens have actually held really well to the weather.

“It’s just so much rain in such a short period of time that put so much in the bunkers, and there’s not really a lot the greens staff could have done about that.”

Play resumed for roughly three more hours before the storms returned during the evening. Groutage said the condition of the bunkers, rather than the playing surfaces elsewhere, made another stoppage necessary.

“The rest of the golf course is actually very good but we just couldn’t keep the bunkers playable, so it wasn’t fair,” he said.

Revised schedule for Friday

The unfinished opening round is due to resume at 7.30am on Friday. The second wave of round-one starters will then tee off between 8am and 10am.

Those delays have pushed the tournament further behind schedule, with the second round not beginning before 1.45pm. McKibbin will return with five holes left to play and the outright lead at The Belfry.

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