AUSSIE GRIFFIN TAKES OVER LEAD IN TELEKOM OPEN IN SOUTH KOREA

NEWS RELEASE
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea: Australian Matt Griffin stayed on course for a second OneAsia title in less than a year with an even-par 72 today that gave him a one-shot lead going into the final round of the U.S. $900,000 SK Telecom Open on South Korea's Jeju Island.

After two days of perfect weather, a stiff wind and late afternoon rain played havoc with the field, and only 10 players broke par around the 7,361 yard Pinx Golf Club course.

Griffin, a winner of the Charity High1 Resort Open in September, stands 13 under for the tournament -- a stroke clear of Korean veteran Kang Wook-soon, whose 67 was the day's best round. 

China's Hu Mu (73) and Koreans Lee Ki-sang (72) and Park Do-kyu (74) shared third place at nine under.

Overnight leader Kim Chang-yoon, who broke the course record with a 62 on Friday, slipped to minus seven after shooting a 79. 

Griffin got to grips with his round at the par-five ninth when he chipped in for eagle from around 40 yards to cancel out a bogey-bogey start.

From then he was a picture of concentration for nine pars in-a-row, and he credited his win last year with giving him the mental fortitude to maintain focus in the worsening conditions.

"Definitely I feel like a different player now," he said. "It helps that you know you can do it, you know you can win."He drew on that experience on the par-four 18th -- which played like a par five for most of the day -- when he put his third shot through the back of the green and then drained the remaining 40-footer to guarantee him the overnight lead.

"That was huge … that could be the difference at the end of the tournament," he said.

  LEADING THIRD ROUND TOTALS

Par 216 (3x72) Yardage 7,361

Players from South Korea unless stated 

203 Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 64-67-72.

204 KANG Wook-soon 65-72-67.

207 LEE Ki-sang 67-68-72, PARK Do-kyu 67-66-74, HU Mu (CHN) 66-68-73.

208 David OH (USA) 66-72-70, AN Jae-hyun (NZL) 71-69-68, KIM Hyung-tae 67-69-72, MOON Kyong-jun  67-69-72.

209 Michael LONG (NZ) 66-72-71, LEE Soo-min (am) 67-70-72, KIM Do-hoon 66-70-73, K J CHOI  69-67-73, KIM Chang-yoon 68-62-79, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 66-66-77.

SELECTED SCORES

210 Andre STOLZ (AUS) 69-70-71, David McKENZIE (AUS) 68-70-72

211 Andrew KELLY (AUS) 70-69-72, Joshua YOUNGER (AUS) 71-69-71, Ryan HALLER (AUS) 70-70-71, Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 68-69-74, Ryan FOX (NZL) 70-71-70

212 Craig HANCOCK (AUS) 67-72-73,  Jamie ARNOLD (AUS) 69-71-72, Nick CULLEN (AUS) 71-70-71.

213 Anthony BROWN (AUS) 66-73-74, Gareth PADDISON (NZL) 68-70-75, Aaron TOWNSEND (AUS) 73-68-72

214 Stephen DARTNALL (AUS) 68-72-74, Peter WILSON (AUS) 70-71-73.

215  Scott LAYCOCK (AUS) 71-70-74