Golf: Brown slips after rain delay

New Zealand golfer Mark Brown suffered in the third round but can still claim a top 10 finish in today's final round of the $2.9m Ballantine's golf championship on the Korean island of Jeju after fog and rain delayed play by three hours yesterday.

The degree of difficulty could be seen by the fact that only one sub-par round was produced in the difficult conditions - a one-under-par 71 by French golfer Francoise Delamontagne.

Twelve golfers carded rounds of 80 and over - including world No 9, Henrik Stenson of Sweden and well-performed golfers like Markus Brier (Austria) and Peter Hedblom (Sweden).

Brown, leader after the first round with a 7-under-par 65, dropped to equal fourth after a 73 in the second round and last night, hit a 78 to slip to 11th equal at even par over the three rounds - six shots behind leader Robert-Jan Derksen of Holland, who hit a three-over 75.

Spain's Pablo Martin was second at four under par with Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee two shots furtrher back. Exciting Spanish prospect Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano hit a 76 to be equal sixth with the only major winner in the field, South Africa's Ernie Els, whose one over par 73 yesterday left him one under par for the tournament.

Brown is in fine form - he finished third in last week's China Open and a similar finish this time would net him over 130,000 and he is only two shots off third in a group of about a dozen chasing golfers.

Meanwhile, New Zealand golfer Danny Lee had no excuses after failing to make the cut at the Zurich Golf Classic of New Orleans yesterday. Making his professional debut, Lee added a second round 75 to his first round 76 for a seven over par 151, and a share of 137th place in a 156-strong field at the TPC Louisiana.

Compatriot Tim Wilkinson scored a 76 after his first round 71 for a three over par 147, also missing the cut which fell at one-under 143 with 2007 champion Nick Watney, Canadian Mike Weir and US Ryder Cup player JB Holmes among those missing out.

Lee, the 18-year-old reigning US Amateur champion, only last week contracted to a lucrative management deal by industry heavy hitters IMG, was succinct about his performance.

"Well, it wasn't really hard out there, I just played really awfully," he said. "I had a problem with my iron shots today and yesterday - I pulled my irons and hit some balls in the water."

Lee said he had plenty to work on ahead of the Quail Hollow Championship in Massachusetts, extra zest coming to the tournament with news that world No 1 Tiger Woods will start.

American Jerry Kelly birdied three of the last five holes to grab a one-shot lead at the Zurich Classic. Two strokes off the pace overnight, Kelly fired a six-under-par 66 to put himself in position to end a seven-year title drought on the PGA Tour.

He covered the back nine in a sizzling four-under 32 for a 10-under total of 134.

Troy Matteson equalled the course-record 64 set by Kyle Reifers in 2007 to share second place with fellow American Charley Hoffman (66) while 2001 champion David Toms (68) was among a group at eight under.