AUBURN – John Hickson proved Thursday what a wise old turtle has been telling children for generations: Slow and steady wins the race.

Or, at least, keeps you close.

Hickson followed his first-round 69 with a 4-under-par gem at the par-72 Fox Ridge Golf Club, putting him in prime position for Friday’s final round, tied for the clubhouse lead with first-round leader Shawn Warren at 7-under-par 137 as darkness suspended play at the 90th Charlie’s Maine Open.

“I really don’t think about (what I have to shoot),” Hickson said. “I played well.”

Hickson, who works out of Dick’s Sporting Goods of Topsham, started the day three back of Warren.

And the birdies in Hickson’s round weren’t all that mattered. He saved par a few times and limited his bogeys to just one – a three-putt on the par-3 12th hole.

Hickson was two under before a lenghthy weather delay stopped play. After a near-birdie on his first hole back from the break, No. 15, Hickson parred No. 16 and finished birdie-birdie to cap his 68.

“I was a bit too hungry (after the break),” Hickson said. “But it didn’t bother me much (after that).”

Warren, meanwhile, had a hard time replicating his 6-under-par 66 from Wednesday, and finished Thursday at 71.

“Mentally, it was just really exhausting,” Warren said. “Having the delay, then having another delay, and the pace of play was ridiculously slow. It takes a lot out of you, being out there that long.”

Warren had it to 1-under through eight holes, but three-putted the ninth hole to drop back to even on the day. He stuck the ball next to the pin at No. 10, though, and got himself back to one under, where he finished.

“I came back after the delay, had a 30-footer for birdie on the 12th and three-putted,” Warren said. “It was hard to tell what the rain had done to the greens.”

Despite the Maine State Golf Association’s best efforts, play was suspended Thursday due to darkness, with 12 golfers still on the course, including Jeff Seavey, who carded a 68 on Wednesday.

Seavey was at 1-under for the day, and 5-under for the tournament, when play was stopped.

After a bout of slow play Wednesday forced the final groups to finish nearly a half hour after sunset, Thursday’s second round was tracking better until a pair of back-to-back weather delays forced officials to delay the tournament for nearly an hour and a half.

Play resumed at 5 p.m., with the final group on the sixth tee, and just about three hours of daylight remaining. From there all but four groups finished.

Of the golfers who finished, Robert Kalinowski (3-under, 141), David Thomas (2-under, 142) and Rich Parker (1-under, 143) had the best two-day totals.

Mark Plummer and Ricky Jones share the low amateur prize through two rounds with even par 144s. Jones has to catch a flight at 4:30 p.m. Friday to represent Maine at the United States Amateur Golf Championship in North Carolina, and will tee off early Friday to accomodate those plans.

Jones also said one of the reasons he played this week, despite his tight schedule, was to get some work in on some faster greens.

“With the weather, they weren’t quite as fast as they were in the past,” Jones said. “I wanted to get some in, though, because I know how tough those (in North Carolina) are going to be.”

Early play yielded some solid scores, as evidenced by Thomas’ pre-rain 68.

The final four groups will begin play at 7 a.m. Friday. When they are finished, officials will make the cut, reset the course and begin the final round at approximately 8:15.