SOUTH African Luois Oosthuizen (pic) was oozing with class, putting behind his masters play-off disappointment, to steal the thunder in a weather disrupted Maybank Malaysian Open at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club yesterday.Third round play was against stopped short by rain, with 60 players still on the greens and fairways, but the South African was in the club-house drivers seat with a 13-under through 10 holes in the third round.
He completed his six holes of the second round with two more birdies for a four-under 68, and will have to play eight more today, before competing for the title in another gruelling 18 holes.
Second on the clubhouse leaderboard is Scotland's Stephen Gallacher who was 12-under through 10 holes of round three.
He travelled 30 hours from Augusta after losing the Masters play-off, and the jet-lag has started to hit him in a different way.
"The jet-lag has been pretty rough, expecially having the kids with us because they are sleeping all day and then coming alive at night!
"Thankfully my wife has been able to sit up with them at night in the room next door while I try and sleep but I haven't had more than four hours straight at any one time," said Oosthuizen.
"I got off to a pretty slow start in the third round as I hot three good putts but did not birdie any of them. Then I picked up two shots on the fourth and fifth, and then I hit a pretty stupid shot on the sixth (bogey).
"I am probably going for a few more shots (birdies) in the remaining third round because I'm kind of playing it like it might be the last round," said the South African.
Oosthuizen's haste stems from the fact that if it rains today morning and disrupts play further, the tournament might be turned into a 54-hole event.
"You never know with the weather here so you are trying to get ahead of the guys in case all of a sudden, it becomes a 54-hole event. I actually don't think that will be the case now, but at that point on the sixth, I was still thinking that there was a chance that this could be the last round," said Oosthuizen.
As for the Scotsman, his confidence rose from the fact that he did not hit a single bogey in the third round.
"Its a good feeling to be right up there and the bogey-free round is helping with the confidence.
"It will be tough to land the title, as Louis is in great form. We all saw what he did last week and how well he played but if I can stick to my own game, I will have a good chance to win," said Gallacher.
