The former rookie of the year endured a frustrating 2018 campaign but kicked off the new season in style with a closing birdie for a five-shot success over Emiliano Grillo, Chesson Hadley and Bronson Burgoon.

Gary Woodland stumbled over the closing holes to finish in a share of fifth with a charging Justin Thomas, plus Abraham Ancer, Charles Howell III and Louis Oosthuizen, with Shubhankar Sharma a shot further back and tied for 10th.

Leishman began the final day in a share of the lead with Woodland and Sharma, his playing partners, but four birdies in a row from the second saw him open up a comfortable advantage.

An outward 30 from Grillo saw him move into a threatening position alongside Woodland, but neither could keep up the pace on the tougher closing stretch.

Grillo bogeyed the 11th while Woodland, twice runner-up in the event previously, dropped shots at the 12th, 14th and 15th holes as his challenge came unstuck.

Leishman's sole bogey came at the 13th, but any notion that he might come under serious pressure was put to bed when he got that shot back at the 16th before another birdie at the 18th - his 28th of the week - saw him match the tournament record score of 26-under.

Burgoon birdied two of the last three for his best PGA Tour finish to date while Hadley responded from a double-bogey on the front-nine to finish with a flourish, but none threatened to deny the dominant Australian.

What a way to close out the week. 👏@MarcLeish is the 2018 @CIMBClassic champion. 🏆#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/DIaiV4Log2
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 14, 2018

Day three report

Australian Marc Leishman, American Gary Woodland and India's rising star Shubhankar Sharma share the lead heading into the final round of the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

Leishman protected his position at the top of the leaderboard overnight following a 67, which included an eagle at the third after finding a bunker in a fast start, to sit at 19 under.

The 22-year-old Sharma, meanwhile, dropped just one stroke at the par-three 15th to sign for a 66 at TPC Kuala Lumpur.

Woodland had been in a share of the halfway lead following an 11-under-par 61 to tie the course record on Friday.

The American looked to have seen his hopes of keeping in front ended after a costly bogey at the 14th, but then picked up a shot on the par-five final hole, just missing an eagle chance, to finish at five-under for the round.

South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen moved up to a tie for fourth place with a 65 to leave him at 17 under alongside American Bronson Burgoon.

Veteran American Stewart Cink, 45, fired himself into contention with a flawless 63 to tie for seventh, four off the lead, after nine birdies.

England's Paul Casey had been just one stroke off the lead at the halfway stage, making his first start since helping Europe regain the Ryder Cup in Paris.

Casey, though, dropped some 10 places on Saturday following a 71 to end at 14 under after bogeys at the 11th and 15th.

Justin Thomas, aiming to win the event for the third time in four years, is some seven shots off the lead after a hitting a second straight 69.

Day two report

England's Paul Casey is just a shot off the lead at the halfway stage of the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

Making his first start since helping Europe regain the Ryder Cup in Paris, Casey added a second round of 65 to his opening 66 at TPC Kuala Lumpur to reach 13 under par, with American Gary Woodland and Australia's Marc Leishman setting the pace on 14 under.

After starting from the 10th, Casey was one under par for the day before a brilliant burst of scoring around the turn, a birdie on the 18th being followed by further gains on the first and second, an eagle on the third and another birdie on the fourth.

"Scores are low and my thoughts this week were that you're probably going to need to be around 20 under par or lower to have a chance of winning this, so I was just trying to get as deep into red (figures) as I could," Casey told the PGA Tour website.

"The last two days are great, I've made a lot of birdies and feeling good."

Playing alongside Casey, Leishman carded 10 birdies in a flawless 62 and Woodland went one better with an 11-under-par 61 to tie the course record set by Justin Thomas on his way to winning the title in 2015.

India's Shubhankar Sharma shares third place with Casey following a 64, with first-round leader Bronson Burgoon, Austin Cook and Scott Piercy a shot further back.

Thomas, who is looking to win the event for the third time in four years, is five shots off the lead after a 69.

Day one report

American Bronson Burgoon carded a nine-under-par 63 to claim a narrow lead after the opening round of the CIMB Classic in Malaysia.

Burgoon fired an eagle, eight birdies and a solitary bogey at TPC Kuala Lumpur to lead by a shot from compatriot Austin Cook, with Scott Piercy, Billy Horschel and CT Pan a shot further back.

World number four Justin Thomas, who is seeking a third win in the event in the space of four years, was part of a large group on six under par on a day when 55 of the 78-man field broke par.

In his first start since helping Europe regain the Ryder Cup in Paris, England's Paul Casey was alongside Thomas on six under following a 66 which included two eagles in the space of his first five holes.

Casey's approach to the first took one bounce before diving into the hole and the 41 year-old also birdied the third before making another eagle on the par-five fifth.