The third round of the Malaysia Open was halted yesterday due to stormy weather and postponed until today, with Australia’s Andrew Dodt retaining his lead.
Today is still to be the final day of the competition despite the delay, meaning that the event has been reduced to 54 holes instead of the usual 72.
Storms have repeatedly interrupted play this week and the action was abandoned yesterday even before the whole field could tee off.
“As a result of the delays and disruptions we have suffered, we have taken the decision to reduce the tournament to 54 holes,” Asian Tour director Fritz Katzengruber said.
As it stands, Dodt has a two-day total of 13-under-par 131, holding a one-shot lead over China’s Liu Yanwei.
American duo Jarin Todd and Trevor Simsby are trailing the leader by two shots.
Dodt, who fired a 63 and 68 in the first two rounds, is seeking his fourth Asian Tour title.
The US$1 million tournament is making a return following a four-year absence, even as many sporting events are canceled worldwide due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Organizers have put in place precautionary measures including temperature checks for players and spectators.
Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang, in a nine-way tie for 11th place, has a two-day total of seven-under-par 142 and Chang Wei-lun, in an 11-way tie for 33rd, a total of four-under-par 160, while Lu Wei-chih did not make the cut after totaling three-over-par 147.
QATAR MASTERS
Briton Andy Sullivan on Friday said that he was “in control of myself” as he claimed a share of the halfway lead at the Qatar Masters on 10-under-par.
Sullivan, a former Ryder Cup player, fired a second straight five-under-66 in the second round at the Education City Golf Club, while Jorge Campillo of Spain finished the day tied at the top after also carding back-to-back 66s.
“I’ve got it under lock at the moment. I feel like I’m in control of myself, which is the most important thing for me,” Sullivan said. “I really feel like I’ve taken my time a little bit more... When I’ve been doing well before, I’ve tended generally [to] rush the shot a little bit, trying to hit it quickly.”
While he felt like his approach to decisionmaking was maturing, others might beg to differ, the 33-year-old Sullivan said jokingly.
“I would say I am — my fiancee and a few of my other people ... probably not,” he said. “I do feel like I’m growing up a little bit on the golf course. Having a laugh on the golf course is all well and good, and I still do enjoy it... [but] I’ve had to really knuckle down on the last few days to keep myself in check.”
Britain’s Oliver Fisher, France’s Romain Langasque, Joost Luiten of the Netherlands and Swedish pair Marcus Kinhult and Alexander Bjork were all tied for third on nine-under-par.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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