Scott in command as Singapore heads for Monday finish

Graeme McDowell’s hopes of putting another big dent in Martin Kaymer’s Race to Dubai lead suffered a blow when he slipped five shots behind Adam Scott in the weather-delayed Barclays Singapore Open.

The event will be completed on Monday after heavy rain washed out five hours and 32 minutes of play on Sunday with McDowell level par for his final round through nine holes.

Graeme McDowell needs a blistering back nine on Monday to win the Singapore OpenThe Ulsterman is on 12 under par but his hopes of a fourth win this season look slim now as two time winner Scott played his first eight holes in three under to lead by three from Ian Poulter on 17 under with Korea’s Kang Kyung-nam alone in third place on 13 under.

Race to Dubai leader Kaymer moved up to tied 11th on nine under as he picked up two shots over the first 12 holes of his final round.

McDowell picked up an early biride two at the second to close the gap on the leaders but bogeyed the third just before the delay.

When he resumed he dropped another shot at the fifth before bouncing back with a birdie at the next. But while he parred his next three holes, Scott birdied the fourth, sixth and eighth to move into a commanding three stroke lead over defending champion Poulter.

Dubliner Peter Lawrie was tied 21st on eight under, one over through 11 holes of his fourth round after mixing birdies at the first and sixth with a bogey six at the fourth and a double bogey seven at the long seventh.

Michael Hoey was also one over for his final round through 12 holes and tied for 49th on even par, two strokes better than Gareth Maybin, who was one under for the day with seven to play.

Shane Lowry’s hopes of making the top 60 in the Race to Dubai who qualify for the season ending Dubai World Championship are likely to depend on his performance in next week’s UBS Hong Kong Open.

The Offaly man, ranked 62nd at the start of the week, slipped back into the pack with a third round 75 before dropping another three shots over the first 11 holes of his final round to share 67th place on four over.

The ninth green was flood by torrential rain.Torrential rain forced officals to call the players off the course at 11.48am and play resumed at 5.32pm before darkness eventually called a halt.

Chris Jordan, Senior Vice-President Golf of promoters World Sport Group said that play would resume at 7.30am on Monday morning.

“We will play until we have a winner,” he said. “The weather for tomorrow is looking slightly better than today. There will be cloud about with the possibility of scattered showers. I am hopeful for tomorrow.”

Scott said: “I had a bit of momentum going with three birdies after coming back from the rain delay so it was a bit of a shame that I had to stop. I would love to have kept playing.

“I’m thinking of the victory and not winning it three times. A lot can happen because it is a tough back nine but I would love to go out and play really rock solid and not let anybody have a chance.

“I’m not talking up my chances, there are plenty of good players out there.”

Kang was a shot behind World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play winner Poulter on 13 under with McDowell and Anders Hansen a shot further back.

“It was a long and a bit of a frustrating day to have to sit around for five hours,” said Poulter. “But when we got back out on the golf course I hit a lot of good golf shots and just missed a couple of putts from eight feet which would have had me right there with Adam.

“I am playing well enough and hitting good golf shots that I am going to have ten holes to claw back that deficit.”