Kuala Lumpur, Feb 23: India's Arjun Atwal held on to a two-shot lead at the Malaysian Open after the completion of the third round in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday morning.

Atwal carded a third round four-under-par 67 on the Mines Resort course finishing the round with a 19-under total, a couple of strokes ahead of South Africa's Reteif Goosen. Atwal and Goosen had returned to the course early on Sunday after a thunderstorm had forced the leading players off the course the previous afternoon.



Resuming from the ninth hole, the 30-year-old Atwal started disastrously by losing the ball on his opening tee shot for a double bogey that cut his lead from four strokes to two.


However, last year's Singapore Masters champion regrouped with two birdies over his next four holes and then brilliantly holed his second shot at the par-four 15th for an eagle two.



Goosen birdied his closing two holes for a round of 66 and finished three strokes clear of Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Sweden's Daniel Chopra in a tie for third at 14-under.



Harrington birdied three of his closing four holes in a round of 67 whilst the 29 year old Australia-based Chopra birdied his last two holes in a 66. After a short break, play was due to commence in the fourth and final round of the co-sanctioned Asian and European Tour event, with officials hopeful of completing the final day's play after bad weather had disrupted play on Friday and Saturday. Bureau Report