Shahriffuddin Ariffin proved he can finish under pressure, draining a clutch birdie on the 18th to nudge past veteran Suteepat Prateeptienchai and take a one-shot lead after the third round of the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open at Pondok Indah Golf Club in Jakarta. Ariffin’s composed four-under-par 68 left him at 17-under overall and set the stage for a tense final day showdown.

Ariffin holds narrow lead after clutch birdie

The 26-year-old from Melaka matched the day’s best scoring with a 68 and watched Suteepat — who also shot 68 — miss a 15-foot birdie that would have forced a tie. Australia’s Travis Smyth carded a 68 to move into solo third at 14-under, one stroke ahead of a group at 13-under that included Wei-hsuan Wang (66), Micah Shin (66) and Charles Porter (70). Local favorite Naraajie Ramadhanputra remained in contention at 12-under after another steady 68.

Ariffin downplayed the pressure, citing a simple mindset: enjoy the course and keep swinging despite a few missed putts. “I had four lip-outs today… just keep playing my golf,” he said. The two-time ADT winner said he hopes Sunday will be his best Asian Tour event and views the chance as an opportunity rather than pressure.

Smyth, Suteepat and the chase pack remain dangerous

Suteepat, a three-time champion and the highest-ranked player in the field, finally dropped his first shot on the 13th but answered with birdies on 14 and 15 to stay in the hunt. Smyth admitted to a shaky start — a wedge into the water on the first hole — but finished strong with birdies on 16 and 18 and praised a pair of iron shots that he intends to replicate on Sunday. With multiple proven winners and experienced challengers close behind, the leaderboard promises fireworks on the final day.

Ariffin sits on the brink of a potential career-defining result; Sunday will test whether his steady approach and clutch touch on 18 can translate into Malaysia’s next Asian Tour champion.