Marcus Armitage, Masahiro Kawamura and Robert MacIntyre had a share of the lead before there was a short suspension on a dramatic final day of the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown.
The trio had moved to four under on the back nine when play was suspended at 2.07pm due to the threat of lightning, with all but four of the 19 remaining players under par.
Englishman Armitage had completed 16 holes, Japan's Kawamura had three to play and Scot MacIntyre was tackling the 14th when the hooter was sounded.
Play resumed at 2.55pm after a 48 minute delay.
South Africa's Louis de Jager, Malaysian Gavin Green, Frenchman Alexander Levy, German Bernd Ritthammer, England's Callum Shinkwin and American Johannes Veerman were a shot off the lead, one clear of Belgian Thomas Detry, another Englishman in Matthew Jordan and Swede Niklas Lemke.
This week's innovative new format had seen the scores reset to par for rounds three and four, with the field first reduced to 32 and ties after 36 holes, and then 16 and ties for the final 18.
Armitage, Kawamura and MacIntyre are all seeking a maiden European Tour victory in Paphos, with five time winner Levy and last week's victor Shinkwin the only players in the top ten to have tasted a European Tour triumph.
There was a seven way tie for the lead as the day's first group were coming to the end of their rounds and the final group were making the turn.
Kawamura had birdied the first and par five third and, while he dropped a shot on the next, he holed from 12 feet at the fifth and closer range on the 11th to share the lead.
The 27-year-old then found the putting surface on the driveable par four 14th and got down in two to break out of the logjam and lead the way.
He soon had MacIntyre for company as last season's Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year hit a stunning approach to ten feet at the 13th to join the lead.
He had earlier birdied the second but given the shot straight back before holing a 20 footer on the fifth and taking advantage of the par five sixth and tenth.
Armitage had turned in level par with two birdies and two bogeys and he also made the most of the tenth before securing another gain at the gettable 14th.
A tee shot to five feet was to follow on the par three next and he almost holed his approach at the 16th to leave a tap-in to join the lead.
Ritthammer and Veerman also had two holes to complete, De Jager and Levy had played 15, Shinkwin was through 14 and Green, playing in the penultimate group of the day, had six holes left.
Englishmen Steven Brown and James Morrison were at one under alongside Spaniard Jorge Campillo, with Finn Sami Välimäki at level par with five to play.
