Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, a former soldier who plays golf in adapted basketball shoes and only turned professional at the ripe old age of 28 last year, goes into the final round of the Benson & Hedges Malaysian Open, presented by Carlsberg, with a one stroke lead.
Jaidee fired a third round 68, four under par, for a ten under par total of 206 following a 104-minute suspension due to an electrical storm.
He leads by one shot from South African Nico Van Rensburg (71) and by two from a trio of players on 208, Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon, Dane Steen Tinning and Pakistan’s leading player, Taimur Hussain.
Only five strokes separate the leading 19 players, so it promises to be a wide open finale to the event at Templer Park Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, with six players from the European Tour in the top ten challenging for the title along with four from the Asian Tour.
Jaidee, whose late appearance on the professional scene was due to his 11 year stint in the Thai Army, said: “I am very happy but I feel lucky because I only hit four fairways. My short game saved me. Tomorrow my plan is just to hit the fairways and greens and see what happens.”
Victory would guarantee Jaidee a place on the European Tour, although the Thai player who speaks barely any English admits he would prefer to make his way on the Japanese Tour.
He explained: “My ambition is to play on the Japanese Tour rather than the European Tour. I feel that Tour is better for someone coming from Thailand. Europe is too cold and if I won here I would have to choose tournaments where it is hot enough for me.”
Van Rensburg, 33, has already won twice in Kuala Lumpur in Asian Tour events, and by landing the Volvo Asian Masters last year he collected a luxury condominium as part of his prize. The South African is due to move into the building and base himself in Kuala Lumpur. However, winning this week would change all that.
He said: “If I won I would take up the option to play on the European Tour. Without a doubt. I tried to get there through the Qualifying School two years ago. I love Asia and will always play here, but I want to play in Europe.
“I am not thinking about winning. I am just thinking about playing every shot as it comes and being a little more aggressive than I was today. I am enjoying myself and I don’t mind the heat.”
Hutcheon, who secured the 15th and final card from the Challenge Tour last year, returned a third round 69 for an eight under par aggregate of 208, while Tinning shot 71 to be on the same mark, one in front of Irishman Padraig Harrington, who shot a level par 72, Retief Goosen (67) and Patrik Sjoland (68).
The Kent-based Scot said: “"I missed quite a few other chances and didn't really play as well as Friday but I'm still in there and that's the main thing, I played with Thongchai today and he's a very good player. He's got the game to win and it's just a question of whether he's got the nerve to win.
"I think the biggest threat experience wise will come from Harrington though I'm pretty relaxed about it all and I'm plodding along steadily and giving myself a lot of chances. I'm not going to go out and think about any one player. I won a couple of weeks in a row last year and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
