Jaidee makes case for the defence

Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee today left the field trailing in his wake at the Carlsberg Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.

Jaidee, the first Thai player to win a European Tour title when he triumphed at Saujana 12 months ago, carded a third-round 67 to finish 19 under par and open up a commanding six-shot lead.

India’s Jyoti Randhawa was his nearest challenger on 13-under after a 65, while Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson led the distant European contingent a shot further back.

Harrington, playing his first tournament of the year, carded a 67 while Stenson recovered from a poor start to return a 71.

Ireland's Paul McGinley finished on -8, as did Gary Murphy. They are tied in thirteenth place. Peter Lawrie finished on -5.

Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn began the day just two shots behind playing partner Jaidee after celebrating his 34th birthday on Friday with a 64, but wilted in the oppressive heat and humidity and could only manage a 73.

Jaidee and Bjorn both birdied the opening hole before Jaidee pulled clear with another birdie on the par-five third.

Bjorn reduced his deficit with a birdie on the fifth and briefly moved within one shot of the lead when Jaidee bogeyed the seventh.

But the Palm course, known locally as ‘The Cobra’, had more bite than over the first two days and Bjorn dropped another shot on the eighth before Jaidee birdied the ninth.

Bjorn was missing a number of shots left – a problem he hoped he had corrected with coach Pete Cowen in London last week – and dropped another shot on the 10th, leaving his par putt less than an inch short of the hole.

After pulling his drive again on the 11th the former Ryder Cup player received a free drop as an advertising board was in his way, but then flew the green with his approach.

An attempted flop shot came up short of the green and in the end the Dane needed to hole from four feet for bogey.

To compound matters, Jaidee birdied the same hole from 14ft and picked up three more before dropping his only shot of the day on the 18th after finding sand off the tee and overshooting the green with his approach.

Much earlier in the day, Sweden’s Olle Nordberg had fully justified his decision to go it alone and be the only man in the 150-strong field not to complete his second round on Friday evening due to the knock-on effect of Thursday’s thunderstorm.

One under par with just the par-five 18th to play, Nordberg needed only to avoid a double bogey to make the halfway cut, but decided it was too dark to carry on.

Playing partners Pelle Edberg and Shaifubari Muda exercised their right to finish the hole, and left Nordberg in no doubt he had made the right decision when they both bogeyed.

Returning to the course at 7.40am on Saturday accompanied by a rules official, Nordberg birdied the 18th to finish two under par, then started his third round on the 10th with four straight birdies before late bogeys saw him card a third straight 71.