Wicklow’s Paul Dunne finished just two shots off the clubhouse lead after round one of the Shenzhen International in China.

Dunne picked up three shots over 14 holes of his round before the players were taken off the course due to the threat of dangerous weather. Play resumed after a 44-minute delay. 

The 23-year-old's round included five birdies and one bogey.

Michael Hoey finished four over par after a 76.

Alexander Levy of France and Korean Soomin Lee are joint leaders on six under. 

Brandon Stone is one shot further behind but has one hole left to complete after play was halted for the day due to darkness. 

Levy, who also led the Spanish Open with a first-round 66 last week before going on to finish 14th at Valderrama, carded six birdies and no bogeys at Genzon Golf Club to set the clubhouse target on six under par.

Lee then completed his own flawless 66 just before play was suspended for the day due to darkness, a knock-on effect of an earlier 45-minute delay caused by the threat of lightning.

The first round is scheduled to resume at 6.50am local time in Friday.

England's Tommy Fleetwood who feels he has some "unfinished business" in the event after missing out on the play-off by a single shot 12 months ago, carded four birdies and one bogey in his fourth consecutive round of 69.

Scotland's Richie Ramsay was challenging for the lead at five under par after 13 holes before a hat-trick of bogeys from the 14th, but stopped the rot with a birdie on the 17th to also finish three under.

Stephen Gallacher recovered from a double bogey on the 15th with birdies on the next two holes to record a two-under-par 70 in his first tournament since February after undergoing hand surgery, while defending champion Kiradech Aphibarnrat and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson could only manage matching rounds of 71

Meanwhile, the Fiji International has been added to the European Tour schedule for 2016, giving players a potential choice between the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship or a "working holiday" on the South Pacific island.

The event will be staged from 6-9 October and co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.