Erik van Rooyen carded a superb five-under-par 67 in the second round on Sunday in the severely weather-affected Players Championship to put himself in position as the leading South African challenger in what is popularly called ‘the fifth major’.

With two birdies and three bogeys in his nine completed holes in the third round before play was suspended because of darkness, he was one-over for the round and had slipped to a share of 11^th at five-under for the tournament.

Play will resume at 8am Florida time on Monday with 10 players either in the lead held by Anirban Lahiri of India at nine-under or within three. Six other players are on five-under with Van Rooyen, including Tommy Fleetwood and former Open champion Shane Lowry who made a hole-in-one from 124 yards at the 17^th hole in the third round. He used a pitching wedge, and the ball landed 10 feet past the front pin before backing up, clanking into the flagstick and dropping. Lowry screamed and celebrated with playing partner and Ryder Cup teammate Ian Poulter as the crowd around the iconic island par-three went wild.

Louis Oosthuizen was the next-best South African, with three birdies and two bogeys in his one-under through 12 holes before the suspension. He was four-under for the tournament in a share of 18^th.

Branden Grace also made the cut, and was one-under for the tournament through 16 in the third round. He was running hot and cold, with an eagle, two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey in his third-round card.

Dylan Frittelli was the last of the South Africans to make the final two rounds. He was on four-over for the third round through nine holes at the suspension, in 71^st place.

Charl Schwartzel and Garrick Higgo missed the cut.