Seoul: Australia's Marcus Fraser retained his lead after the completion of the first round of the Ballantine's Championship, which was reduced to three rounds yesterday because of weather disruption.
Fraser was one of just 36 players who managed to complete their first rounds on Thursday when fog prevented six hours of play at the $2.9 million (Dh10.66 million) European and Asian Tour event.
His seven-under-par 65 was sufficient to retain a one stroke lead from Briton Mark Foster and Argentine Tano Goya after all players had completed their first 18 holes at the Pinx Golf Club on Jeju island. South Korean Ted Oh was in a group of four players sharing fourth after shooting 67s, a stroke ahead of three-times major winner Ernie Els and American Anthony Kim, who both shot four-under-par 68s on Thursday to share eighth with 10 others.
US PGA Championship winner Yang Yong-eun had a disappointing round on his home island, starting the day at one-under after the one hole he played on Thursday but falling to a 77 and a share of 133rd.
- First round (par-72)
- 65 Marcus Fraser (Australia)
- 66 Mark Foster (Britain); Estanislao Goya (Argentina)
- 67 Ted Oh (South Korea); Rhys Davies (Britain); Robert Rock (Britain); Brett Rumford (Australia).
