Germany's Martin Kaymer was edging towards victory in The Players Championship when play was suspended due to the threat of lightning on Sunday.
Kaymer was lining up a birdie putt on the 14th green when the siren sounded to call the players off the course, The Ryder Cup star having reached 15 under par with birdies at the second, ninth and 11th.
American Jim Furyk was his nearest challenger on 12 under and was about to hit a two foot par putt on the 18th when play was suspended, Furyk biting his putter in frustration as thunder rumbled overhead.
Kaymer's playing partner Jordan Spieth was 11 under after his run of holes without a bogey ended at 58, the 20 year old briefly taking the outright lead after birdies on the second and fourth before dropping shots on the fifth, eighth and tenth.
Justin Rose was safely in the clubhouse on ten under after a closing 69, the US Open Champion left to reflect on what might have been after a hat-trick of bogeys from the tenth derailed his challenge.
Italy's Francesco Molinari and Spain's Sergio Garcia were also ten under with two and four holes to play respectively.
Kaymer would be just the fourth European player to win the US PGA Tour’s flagship event in 41 years after Sandy Lyle (1987), Garcia (2008) and Henrik Stenson (2009) if he can hold onto his lead.
The former World Number One, who started the week 61st in the Official World Golf Ranking, equalled the course record at Sawgrass with a 63 in the first round and added rounds of 69 and 72 to share the lead with Spieth coming into the final day.
He matched Spieth's birdie on the second and got up and down from greenside bunkers on both the ninth and 11th to pick up further shots, briefly leading by four shots until Furyk birdied the 17th.
Play eventually resumed after a 90-minute delay and Furyk duly holed out for par on the 18th to complete a 66 and set the new clubhouse target of 12 under par.
Kaymer safely two-putted the 14th to remain 15 under, but with rain falling Spieth was caught out by the slower greens and three-putted to drop back to ten under.
