Otto gets in before the rain

South African players continued to dominate the Malaysian Open before play was suspended due to bad weather.

And that was despite overnight leader Charl Schwartzel, the former Masters champion, dropping down the leaderboard.

Hennie Otto stole the limelight from his more renowned countrymen to set the clubhouse target before thunderstorms forced the players off the course and led to play being abandoned.

Otto fired an unblemished round of 64 to hold a share of the lead with compatriot Jbe Kruger on nine under par.

Kruger also carded eight birdies, his only hiccup coming with a bogey at the par-five third.

Louis Oosthuizen, who lost a dramatic play-off to Bubba Watson at The Masters last week, was alone in third on eight under after 12 holes.

Oosthuizen and Schwartzel made a 30-hour journey from the United States to Kuala Lumpur to take their place in the field and while Schwartzel showed no ill-effects on Thursday, when he shot 64 to take the overnight lead, he laboured yesterday.

The 27-year-old carded three bogeys and one birdie on the front nine, and then also bogeyed the 11th shortly before play was suspended.

That left Schwartzel four off the pace on five under par, two behind Martin Kaymer and David Lipsky.