• Maybank Malaysian Open, Round Three

McIlroy on top as Kaymer makes his move

Rory McIlroy was the picture of cool on the course on Saturday © PA Photos

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Leaderboard

Rory McIlroy produced a superb display of patience to take a two-shot lead into the final day of the Maybank Malaysian Open as world No. 1 Martin Kaymer began to make his move on a day disrupted by the weather.

McIlroy, the joint leader at the beginning of the day was forced to play the waiting game after heavy rain and thunderstorms suspended play for nearly three-and-a-half hours before the world No. 9 had even stepped onto the course.

After a game of ten-pin bowling with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, McIlroy began his round and a solid performance saw him par the eight opening holes before a super birdie at nine saw him take the outright lead on 12-under.

The late start to his round means McIlroy will have to play 27 holes on Sunday, but the Ulsterman is perfectly poised to atone for his final-day collapse at Augusta last week.

Kaymer began the day eight shots off the pace on three-under, but the German produced a timely reminder of why he is the world's best player with a sparkling round of six birdies to move to nine-under when his round came to an end after 15 holes.

Kaymer is ominously poised three strokes behind McIlroy and a single shot behind three players tied for second; overnight joint leader Alexander Noren, Matteo Manassero and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.

Bourdy bounded up the leaderboard with five birdies in his first six holes, while Italian teenager Manassero had to complete his second round before returning to begin his third round and birdies at one, three and five kept him firmly in contention.

Schwartzel, who struggled on Thursday in the wake of his triumph at Augusta, mixed four birdies with two bogeys to move up to two-under par, but his fellow South African Oosthuizen slumped down the field after three bogeys and a double bogey featured on his card to end the day on four-over par after 12 holes.

Englishman Robert Rock was one of only 12 men to complete their rounds on Saturday, and he moved up to five-under after a solid third round 70.

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