JAKARTA: Poom Saksansin maintained his three-shot lead to inch closer to a second Indonesian Masters triumph while Justin Rose remained on course to become world number one even after the Briton’s title defence appeared over on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Thai held on to his overnight lead in the Asian Tour event as he followed his second-round 63 with a two-under-par 70, which included three birdies as against a bogey on the fifth hole.
His 54-hole aggregate of 16-under-par 200 puts him in the pole position for a second title, having triumphed at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club two years ago.
“I think it’s good enough that I am playing with Henrik Stenson tomorrow,” Poom said of his idol. “I’m happy to be able to play with him again. He gave me an autographed shirt earlier this year when we met in Malaysia and I still keep that properly at home.”
Poom, together with his teammate Sunghoon Kang of South Korea, upset Stenson and Alexander Levy 5&4 in the opening fourball match of the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia in January.
Stenson carded a 68, the lowest score on a wind-swept Saturday when only 12 players broke par, and vowed not to go soft on the young Thai on Sunday.
“Not at all, if I have a chance,” said the Swede who sank five birdies, including three in his front nine, to lie three shots ahead of Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (69).
“We will see if he can go easy on the old guy instead. … I know he is a very capable player and he has shown that for the first three days,” Stenson said after the penultimate round of the Asian Tour’s season-ending event.
After two rounds of 68, Rose birdied the final hole to sign for a one-under 71 and drop further behind in the title race.
But the 38-year-old Olympic champion is still tied for fourth and needs only a top-12 finish to replace Brooks Koepka at the top of the world rankings.