Shenzhen (China), May 4 (AP) The third round of the China Open was cancelled Saturday because of thunder and lightning.

The European Tour announced it will now be a 54-hole event, with Sunday's final round being played in a two-tee, three-ball format starting at 8 am local time.

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Sebastian Soderberg of Sweden leads on 16 under par and holds a three-shot advantage over Paul Waring of England at Hidden Grace Golf Club.

Soderberg did not hit a shot on Saturday. Only two groups got underway before play was initially suspended at 8.18 am local time because of the dangerous situation caused by lightning in the area.

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The weather did not improve and it was announced at 2.11 pm local time that the third round had been cancelled.

The No. 98-ranked Soderberg has been runner-up in the last two events — the Indian Open and the ISPS Handa Championship. They are part of his five top-10 finishes in his nine tournaments so far in the 2024 season.

The China Open is back on the European tour schedule after an absence of five years. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)