AUSSIE GRIFFIN LEADS IN SOUTH KOREA

NEWS RELEASE

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea - Australian Matt Griffin made the most of perfect conditions to shoot an eight-under-par 64 today for a one-shot lead after the first round of OneAsia's US $900,000 SK Telecom Open on South Korea's Jeju Island.

Griffin, a winner in South Korea last year at the tour's Charity High1 Resort Open, had nine birdies and a bogey around the 7,361yd par-72 Pinx Golf Club course -- and it could have been even better if not for two three-putts.

South Korean veteran Kang Wook-soon surprised even himself to take sole possession of second place, while ten others were jostling for position at six under -- including China's Hu Mu, Australians Anthony Brown and Jason Norris, American David Oh and Michael Long of New Zealand.

Playing the course back-to-front, Griffin started with a birdie and then put on a masterclass from the 15th to the second with six in-a-row. 

He three-putted the fourth for a routine par and repeated the sin on the seventh for a bogey, but birdies on six and nine put him in charge of the tournament.

"For a while I had visions of Thailand," said Griffin, who finished the last round of the season-opening Thailand Open in April with eight birdies in-a-row for a career-low 64. 

"I had a good go at eagle on the last today which would have given me a 63, but it wasn't to be."

 The shot of the day belonged to American Jason Kang, who aced the 193yd) par-3 17th with a five-iron to win a Jaguar XF 2.0P luxury four-door sedan worth around $65,000).

 

 FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 72. Yardage 7,361

(am denotes amateur)
Players from South Korea unless stated 

64 Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS).

65 KANG Wook-soon.

66 KANG Kyung-nam, KIM Do-hoon, HU Mu (CHN), Anthony BROWN (AUS), Michael LONG (NZL), JANG Dong-kyu, KIM Jae-ho, David OH (USA), Jason NORRIS (AUS), LEE Sung-ho.

67 Rory HIE (INA), Craig HANCOCK (AUS), Akinori TANI (JPN), PARK Do-kyu, LEE Soo-min (am), LEE Ki-sang, KIM Hyung-tae, PARK Jae-kyung, BAEK Joo-yeob, MOON Kyong-jun (KOR).

SELECTED SCORES

68 Gareth PADDISON (NZL), Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS), David McKENZIE (AUS), Stephen DARTNALL (AUS).

69 Jason SCRIVENER (AUS), Lucas LEE (BRA), Jamie ARNOLD (AUS).

70 Peter WILSON (AUS), John Young KIM (USA), Andrew KELLY (AUS), Michael WRIGHT (AUS), Garrett SAPP (USA), Stephen LEANEY (AUS), Ryan HALLER (AUS).
71 Joshua YOUNGER (AUS), Matthew STIEGER (AUS), Rhein GIBSON (AUS), AN Jae-hyun (NZL), Nick CULLEN (AUS), Scott LAYCOCK (AUS),, Jason KANG (USA).

72 Brody NINYETTE (AUS), Rohan BLIZARD (AUS).

73 Aaron TOWNSEND (AUS), Brad SHILTON (NZL), Mark BROWN (NZL).

74 Andrew TSCHUDIN (AUS), Richard T LEE (CAN).