Cameron Smith has won his third Australian PGA Championship by three shots after lightning strikes stopped play at Royal Queensland Golf Club.

The world No.3 carded a three-under 68 to finish 14-under par, Jason Scrivener (11 under) coming from seven shots behind late on Saturday to share the lead and threaten a major boilover on Sunday.

But Scrivener stumbled in pursuit of his first title in five years, Open Championship winner Smith obliging to claim a fifth title for 2022 in his first appearance on home soil in three years.

Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (11 under) was equal second while England’s John Parry and West Australian favourite Min Woo Lee shared fourth at nine under.

Play was suspended twice on Sunday for a total of two hours when electrical storms swept through Brisbane, sending players and about 10,000 fans scrambling for cover.

But the storm cleared in time to finish in fading light, avoiding a return on Monday to crown the champion.

Resuming for the second time, Smith immediately bogeyed the 11th to fall back level with Scrivener and Hisatsune.

But he dug deep into his bag of tricks, flopping a wedge from scratchy rough, over a tree and onto the 12th green to make birdie.

He then nailed a six-metre birdie putt on the 13th and sealed the result with another on the 16th

to add to his 2017 and 2018 titles, both won at the Gold Coast’s Royal Pines.

Scrivener, playing ahead of Smith, birdied to stay within one shot but then watched his putt on the 17th roll off the green and into the back corner of a raked bunker.

He took a double bogey – his putt rolled around the rim before finally dropping – a birdie on the last pulling him level with the in-form Japanese talent.

Smith (68, 65, 69, 68) was the only man to shoot more than two rounds under 70 for the tournament and is the youngest three-time winner of the Kirkwood Cup.

-AAP