A number of last week's top performers were once again to the fore in the Ballantine's Championship at the Pinx Golf Club, Jeju Island, South Korea. Foremost among them were New Zealand's Mark Brown, who scored a course record 65 in the third round of the Volvo China Open and finished in third place, and Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who finished second in the same tournament.
Brown was one of the morning starters, and his round got off to the best possible launch with an eagle 3 on his opening hole, the 10th. He went on to register another 65 that included a run of four consecutive birdies in five holes around the turn, adding a total of six birdies to his eagle, and with just one bogey on the par-3 14th.
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Mark Brown –a 65 following his course record of the same score last week suggests he is in top form
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Two-time Asian Tour winner Brown is enjoying a return to form since his back-to-back victories on the Asian Tour at the Sail Open and Johnnie Walker Classic in India last year And with Jeju's famous winds expected to pick up later in the tournament, he acknowledged his good opening could prove vital.
"I didn't play well for a good few months, and just lost it a little bit. But it doesn't take much to get it back," said Brown. "You just hit a few good shots and I'm the type of person that the only way I can gain confidence is by actually seeing the proof, not by trying to kid myself. When you start to see the ball fly a little bit straighter, then you slowly gain confidence."
"I think it will blow before the week is out and that will provide a different challenge. It's good to be in with that score nice and early. I can sit back and relax and try to build on that tomorrow afternoon."
Fernandez-Castano, who missed out on a playoff in the Volvo China Open by one stroke, also showed that his Beijing form has traveled with him in his bag to Korea. The Spaniard started his round on the 1st and reached the turn in 2-under, but he too eagled the 10th. Three more birdies on the run-in gave him a 65 and the joint lead with Brown.
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Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano – Second last week in China, he will be hoping to go one better in Korea
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"The last couple of weeks have been great and, well, coming out here and shooting 65 in the first round, you can't ask for any better," said the Spaniard. "We've been very lucky with the weather today, it's been absolutely fantastic, no wind at all. It's been an easy day compared to the practice rounds we've played here. So I'm very happy. It's a fantastic way to start the tournament and hopefully we'll keep it going."
Three players – Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, Robert-Jan Derksen of Holland and Korea's Kang Kyung Nam, who plays mainly on his country's domestic tour – were a shot back on 66. Jaidee again showed why he is one of Asia's best when he put in yet another impressive performance.
He started strongly with four successive birdies on his opening front-nine, starting from the second hole through to the fifth. The only blemish to his card was a lone bogey on the sixth before he made the turn in 33. An eagle and a birdie followed on the inward nine.
"It was nice to be able to play in this kind of the weather today. Those four birdies that I made in a row were very nice indeed and my plan is to continue playing the way I've been playing today," said the Thai ace, who tops the honour list with an unprecedented 11th career victory on the Asian Tour.
Robert Dinwiddie of England, American Jason Knutzon and Alessandro Tadini of Italy each carded a 67 to be two shots off the pace.
