KUALA LUMPUR — Australia's Andrew Dodt shot a four-under-par 68 to hold a slim lead at the weather disrupted Malaysia Open Friday, keeping China's Liu Yanwei at bay with a single shot advantage.

American duo Jarin Todd and Trevor Simsby are in close contention as they trail Dodt two shots adrift in tied-third, while South Korea's Charlie Wi is four shots behind Dodt, the overnight leader, in fifth.

Lighting threats forced play to a halt at 4.15 p.m. local time, which means 77 golfers will return early Saturday morning to complete their second round.

Three-time Asian Tour winner Dodt, who fired a 63 in the opening round, hung on to his lead courtesy of a blemish-free scorecard that included four birdies for a two-day total of 13-under-par 131.

"It's hard to back up a 63 but I did with a 68 today, pretty solid. I hit a lot of greens but didn't hole as many putts as I did yesterday," Dodt said.

Meanwhile, Liu surged into contention from tied-seventh, thanks to his solid 65 after trading nine birdies against two bogeys.

"Last time I made nine birdies in a tournament round was on the China Tour last year in March," he said.

Dodt's fragile lead could be temporary, with Japan's Naoki Sekito having only played nine holes so far.

The Asian Development Tour Order of Merit champion had trailed Dodt by two shots in second after the completion of the first round on Thursday.

This $1 million Asian Tour event is making a return following a four-year absence, even as many sporting events are cancelled worldwide due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Organizers have taken precautions such as temperature checks for players and spectators.— AFP