Harrington hands it to Thai ace

Padraig Harrington today conceded Thongchai Jaidee has a second straight Carlsberg Malaysian Open victory firmly in his grasp.

Jaidee, the first Thai player to win a European Tour title when he triumphed here 12 months ago, will take a commanding six-shot lead into the final round after leaving the field trailing in his wake at Saujana.

The former paratrooper carded a third-round 67 for a 19-under-par total of 197, and would have been further ahead but for a bogey on the 18th.

India’s Jyoti Randhawa finished the day as his nearest challenger on 13-under after a 65, while 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.

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.

“It is within his hands. He is totally in control,” admitted Harrington, the world number eight. “Even if I shoot a low one I have to depend on him. It is a course he obviously likes and that is tremendous scoring. You would think he would stall at some stage but he just keeps going forward.

“I noticed what he was doing on the leaderboard but I was still thinking about getting myself up there and in that last group. I had two birdies to finish and I’m very happy with that.

“It was a very tough day, very hard to stay focused with the temperature. I would have liked to have been a few better but I definitely stalled in the middle of the round. I don’t know if that was the weather or me.”

Jaidee, who received a diplomatic passport from the Thai prime minister following his win last year, added: “It is nice to lead by six shots and to outscore Thomas for a change.

“I had a good start with birdies on the first and third and that got me going. I hit my irons really well and putted nicely. Everything was perfect again today. Hopefully tomorrow I can go on and win this again. I’m feeling confident.”

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 second shot of the day on the 18th after finding sand off the tee and overshooting the green with his approach.