Atwal keeps Goosen at bay

India's Arjun Atwal continued to show Europe's top two players a clean pair of heels before bad weather again disrupted the Malaysian Open.

Atwal was among 73 players unable to complete their second rounds on schedule after a violent 90-minute thunderstorm flooded the course. The 29-year-old had completed seven holes before the heavens opened on Friday, and managed just eight of his third round yesterday before the heat and humidity sparked another storm.

Atwal had just completed the eighth hole and carved out a four-shot lead over the field when play was abandoned for the day.

Two birdies in those eight holes had taken Atwal to 17 under, with European No 1 Retief Goosen his nearest challenger after a birdie on the eighth just before the end of play. Thailand's Thammanoon Srirot was alongside Goosen on 13 under. Ireland's Padraig Harrington, second to Goosen on the Order of Merit for the past two years, was six shots off the pace after also completing eight holes, alongside Scotland's Dean Robertson, Swede Daniel Chopra and Korean Ted Oh.

Playing alongside Goosen when the leaders began their third rounds, Atwal kept his three-shot cushion intact by matching Goosen's birdie on the par-five third to move to 16 under. That lead was then extended to four shots when Goosen bogeyed the fifth. Harrington had drawn level with Goosen on 12 under with birdies on the third and fifth, but bogeyed the next to drop back into a share of fourth place.

Atwal extended his lead with a birdie from 10 feet on the sixth, but Goosen hit back on the eighth with what proved to be the last significant action of the day.