Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee takes a commanding six stroke lead into the final round of the Carlsberg Malaysian Open in his quest to successfully defend a title for the first time.
Jaidee pulled away from the field with another exemplary display around the Palm course at Saujana Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, posting a formidable 54 hole total of 19 under par 197 after a third round 67.
Jyoti Randhawa, of India, emerged as his nearest challenger after a seven under par 65 took him to 13 under par 203. World Number Eight Padraig Harrington, of Ireland, completes Sunday’s final group after a five under par 67 took him to 12 under par alongside Swede Henrik Stenson and Prom Meesawat, of Thailand.
But it will take a lot to catch Jaidee after the former paratrooper established the lowest three round total of the season and the largest 54 hole lead of The 2005 European Tour International Schedule, eclipsing the season’s previous best of three shots by Stephen Dodd in the Volvo China Open.
Should he go on to win he will become the first wire-to-wire winner of the year. He will also become only the third player to successfully defend the Malaysian Open title since its inauguration in 1962, following in the footsteps of Tomoo Ishii (1964/5) and Graham Marsh (1974/5).
“It’s within his hands,” said Harrington, who birdied the last two holes to give himself half a chance. “Thongchai is totally in control. Even if I shoot a low one tomorrow, I have to depend on him. It’s a course he obviously likes. That is tremendous scoring. You would think he would stall at some stage but he just keeps going forward.”
Harrington, twice a runner-up in the event joint sanctioned by The European Tour and the Asian Tour, started well with three birdies in his first five holes but, by his own admission, he stalled in the middle of the round. He dropped a shot on the ninth, his second of the day following an earlier error on the third, but bounced back with four birdies on the homeward stretch including two to finish.
“I’m very happy with that,” he said. “It was a very tough, difficult day in this temperature. It was hard to stay focused.”
Nevertheless it is still and impressive first outing of the year but will require something special to overhaul Jaidee.
Twelve months ago Jaidee became the first Thai golfer to win on The European Tour International Schedule and history looks set to repeat itself. He hardly put a foot wrong in a outward half of 34, comprising three birdies and one bogey, and over his favoured back nine he left the field trailing in his wake.
Birdies at the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th holes put clear water between himself and the chasing pack and even when he dropped a shot on the last, when he over hit his six iron approach through the green, he was still sitting pretty at the top of the leaderboard.
“I had a good start on the front nine,” said Jaidee, a winner of five titles on the Asian Tour. “Birdied the first two holes which got me going. It’s nice to lead by six shots. My plan is always the same, fairways, greens and putts. I’m playing nicely now. Hopefully, tomorrow I can go on and win this again. I’m feeling confident.”
Randhawa has already demonstrated a liking for Kuala Lumpur having won the Volvo Masters of Asia here at the end of last year to claim his fifth career win, a victory that propelled him to second place in the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
The golfing gods were clearly smiling on him as on the sixth hole he received a lucky break when rather than take on a colony of fire ants behind a tree, he was entitled to a free drop and managed to save his par. The next hole he made the first of two eagles in his round, the other coming on the 13th, and he was off and running as he raced to a seven under par 65.
“It seems tough as Thongchai seems to be playing well and he’s a good player,” said Randhawa. “But what can you say in golf. A guy on 11 under can come from behind and win. One more day to go and I’ll take my chances tomorrow.”
Stenson never really got going as he made his way round in 71, a birdie chance on the last to join Randhawa on 13 under slipping by the hole from six feet.
“I just didn’t get it going early on,” said the Swede. “I dropped a shot on the first and another one the fourth so I was fighting a battle all day. I didn’t play too badly all day, just didn’t score. Had a couple of good chances and hit some good shots but they didn’t result in any birdies like yesterday. Just keep plugging away and have a good day tomorrow.
“It seems hard at the moment to catch Thongchai. He is playing fantastic and everything he does seems to be working out the way he plans. It is going to be tough but we’ll give it a long shot.”
Meesawat completed the trio on 12 under par, bouncing back from a double bogey on the first to match Stenson’s 71 and 204 total.
After going two rounds without a bogey, the 20-year-old hit a cart path with his opening drive and landed out of bounds but the talented Thai courageously fought back for a 71 and had the pleasure of outscoring playing partner Miguel Angel Jiménez by two strokes.
"What a start," said Meesawat. “But I am happy I got it back to under par. I just told myself to keep playing it one shot at a time. Thongchai is so far in front now that I'll be shooting for second place tomorrow."
Dane Thomas Björn struggled in the intense heat to a one over par 73 to lie a further shot back on 11 under par.
