World No. 1 Jordan Spieth managed a career first playing the last hole as a six-ball in the fog-interrupted Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Nearly six hours play on both Friday and Saturday has been lost to fog engulfing the UAE capital.

And Spieth, who commenced his third round in the second group out at 1.35pm local time, only just managed to get his drive away down the last a second before officials sounded the siren around 5.53pm, and at the top of the visiting American’s follow through.

World No. 1 Jordan Spieth makes his way to the scorer’s hut having played in a six-ball down the last on day three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

The opening group of the round were still on the final tee with only one, England’s Eddie Pepperell, having teed off and with confusion as a spectator quickly picked-up the England golfer’s ball.

The other two had not teed off when joined by Spieth and his playing partners Pablo Larrazabal and Soren Kjeldsen.

But then Larrazabal, and winner of the event two years ago, wasn’t waiting on any invitation and teed-off followed by Kjeldsen and then Spieth.

Spieth said: “No, I have not played a six-ball before, so that was a first but then we really didn’t know what to do and we kind of felt bad as we were all asking the guys in front want to, then you just go and finish and we will play behind you and that is the way it is supposed to be.

“But they didn’t mind plus Eddie’s ball was picked up by a spectator so they had to wait a while but then after the other two teed-up Pablo was not going to wait, so he just teed off.  They didn’t care and they’re good guys.”

And after being warned for slow play on the ninth hole during Thursday’s opening round Spieth could see the irony of it all two days later.

He said:  “I even asked one of the officials on the seventh green if they wouldn’t mind giving us a five-minute warning when you are going to sound the siren.

“They blow the horn earlier over here on the European Tour compared to the States where they almost wait for darkness as we have played in much darker conditions in the U.S.

“But then they didn’t give us a warning and I just fortunate I got my ball in the air off the last tee because I very easily could have waited another 10 seconds,“

A second straight fog delay on Saturday morning meant a three-hour delay with England’s Andy Sullivan declared the second round leader posting back-to-back 67s for a two shot lead at 10-under par over the duo of Rory McIlroy and amateur Bryson Dechambeau.

Sullivan was still two clear in the third round when he lost a ball with his drive down the ninth and with his triple bogey sending him back into fifth place on nine under par and still nine holes to play Sunday morning.

McIlroy is among five players sharing the lead on 10-under par along with Joost Luiten (after 10 holes), Ian Poulter (13 holes), Branden Grace (after 16 holes), Rickie Fowler (11 holes) and McIlroy (nine holes).

“It wasn’t great to see Andy lose a ball. It was a bit of a weird one.  No one saw where the ball went  and we had so many people looking for it and just couldn’t find it in the bush,” he said.

“But looking at the leader board it is really bunched with a lot of people around the lead.

“I’ve got 27 holes left to play and hopefully if I can play a good back nine tomorrow morning it would set myself up for an exciting last 18 holes.”