JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Frankie Minoza of the Philippines held a one-shot lead when the third round of the Indonesia Open was suspended Saturday due to inclement weather.
Minoza was 5 under par through 17 holes in his third round and 8-under overall when play was halted ahead of an approaching storm. He will have a 15-foot par putt at No. 18 when the round resumes Sunday morning at 7:10 a.m. local time (7:10 p.m. ET).
‘It’s just part of the game. I’m not frustrated,’ Minoza commented on the postponement. ‘I hit a lot of good shots today and have taken a lot of confidence from my win at the Philippines Open two weeks ago.’
Korea’s Jong-Yul Suk and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen were one shot off the pace at 7 under when the horn sounded. Suk was 2 under through 15 holes of his third round, while Ilonen, one of two second round co-leaders, was just 1 over through 14 holes.
Australia’s Andrew Tampion, the other second round co-leader, was 3 over through 14 holes and had fallen to five-under par overall to stand fourth.
Shiv Kapur of India and Tony Carolan of Australia held the clubhouse lead at 4-under-par 209. Kapur shot a 2-under 69 and Carolan had a 4-under 67 in the third round.
Four other players were on the course at 4 under when play was suspended.
Minoza’s only bogey so far in the third round came at the par-3 12th, and he surrounded it with back-to-back birdies on each side. He was cruising through his round until an uncontrolled tee shot at the par-4 18th landed in bushes on the right side of the fairway.
From there, Minoza pitched back onto the fairway and then knocked his third shot within 15 feet of the hole. But the horn sounded before he had a chance to make his par.
Though he is a two-time champion at the Indonesia Open, Minoza’s victories came in 1986 and 1990 before the tournament was part of the European Tour schedule.
If he hangs on Sunday, the 47 year old would become the seventh-oldest champion in European Tour history -- and its first Filipino winner.
‘Winning on the European Tour would be a dream come true for me,’ Minoza admitted.
When play resumes Sunday morning, 27 players will be left to finish their rounds. More thunderstorms are forecast for the area.
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