McGrane battles back in Korea

Alex Noren has a one shot lead in the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea. Picture © Getty Images.Damien McGrane produced a fighting performance to make the cut with ease then battled back from a poor start to scorch up the leaderboard in the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.

The 42-year old Kells man, who is struggling at 136th in the Race to Dubai, came back from an opening double bogey in his weather-delayed second round to card a 72 to and make the cut with two shots to spare.

Then he overcame two opening bogeys in his third round to hit five birdies and drop just more stroke for a 70 that catapulted him tied 15th on three under.

That’s just six shots behind Swede Alexander Noren, who emerged from the pack with a flawless back nine display, carding a 69 to take a one stroke lead into the final round on nine under par.

European Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley made his first cut since last year’s Irish Open, firing a second round 70 to make it with a shot to spare on one under.

However, the Dubliner couldn’t make in the third round and three bogeys for a 75 saw him fall back to tied 58th on two over.

Peter Lawrie went out in 40 but came back in 34 for a third round 74 that left him eight shots off the pace in the weather-delayed championship at Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, near Seoul.

Peter Lawrie tees off at Blackstone on Saturday. Picture www.golffile.ieAs for Noren, the 29 year old birdied the last hole for a superb third round of 69 in windy conditions to move a shot cleear of Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, whose 68 was the lowest round of the day, and Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, who signed for a round of 69.

At one point ten players were tied for the lead, but it will be Noren who holds the advantage after mastering the conditions, carding birdies on 12th, 14th and 18th holes on his way in after reaching the turn in level par.

“My short game I think held it together today,” he said. “I didn’t have that many chances, but I took care of them when I got chances for birdies and made the important pars when I needed.  So it was a big fight today.”

The three-time European Tour champion has an impressive record in the Ballantine’s Championship, finishing seventh last year and fifth in 2011, and he is now aiming to convert that form into silverware.

“It’s easier for a player to come back when you’ve done something good in the past,” he said. “You know you can score well around the track and good memories are always nice to have with you.”

He added: “I’m just trying to play well tomorrow, and it’s going to be a really fun day.  I haven’t been in the lead in a long time, but I’ve had some good finishes, so it will be a lot of fun.  I’m just trying to play good and make birdies and try to make more birdies than the other ones.”

Complete third round scores (par 72)

207 A Noren  (Swe) 71 67 69,

208 P Larrazábal (Esp) 70 70 68, P Whiteford (Sco) 70 69 69,

209 B Rumford (Aus) 73 67 69, M Fraser (Aus) 70 70 69,

210 R Wattel  (Fra) 70 69 71, J Lara (Esp) 71 67 72,

211 L Oosthuizen  (RSA) 69 71 71, W Ormsby (Aus) 70 67 74,

212 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 71 66 75, P Sang-Hyun (Kor) 74 69 69, E Pepperell (Eng) 72 69 71, S Dyson  (Eng) 71 72 69, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 68 71 73,

213 K K.t. (Kor) 74 68 71, J Morrison  (Eng) 72 66 75, G Havret  (Fra) 71 70 72, A Vongvanij (Tha) 68 69 76, D McGrane (Irl) 71 72 70, K Pratt (Aus) 67 77 69, W Ashun (Chn) 75 65 73, M Carlsson  (Swe) 71 69 73, S Gallacher (Sco) 70 68 75, J Randhawa (Ind) 72 69 72,

214 S Chowrasia (Ind) 71 70 73, J Heung-Chol (Kor) 70 70 74, K Gi-Whan (Kor) 67 72 75, J Sjöholm (Swe) 73 71 70, B Wiesberger  (Aut) 71 69 74, M Warren (Sco) 70 73 71, M Siddikur  (Ban) 74 69 71, K Hyung-Sung (Kor) 71 69 74, S Hend (Aus) 76 66 72,

215 H Jung-Gon (Kor) 70 74 71, H Min-Kyu (Kor) 71 69 75, P Lawrie (Irl) 68 73 74, H Mu (Chn) 72 69 74, H Soon-Sang (Kor) 71 71 73, J Knutzon (USA) 72 70 73, K Kyung-Nam (Kor) 72 68 75, P Lawrie (Sco) 75 67 73, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 72 70 73, R Hyun-Woo (Kor) 69 73 73,

216 T Jaidee (Tha) 71 72 73, M Delpodio  (Ita) 71 69 76, M Baldwin (Eng) 67 73 76, S Yong-Jin (Kor) 71 71 74, S Kapur (Ind) 71 71 74, R Karlberg  (Swe) 69 73 74, J Edfors (Swe) 67 75 74, L Slattery (Eng) 70 71 75,

217 B Henson (USA) 70 70 77, L Wen-Chong (Chn) 76 68 73, R Gonzalez (Arg) 69 73 75, P Hyun-Bin (Kor) 73 70 74, J Kruger (RSA) 71 67 79, R Ramsay  (Sco) 71 70 76,

218 A Da Silva (Bra) 71 72 75, J Gonnet  (Fra) 67 76 75, C Ho-Sung (Kor) 73 70 75, P McGinley (Irl) 73 70 75, F Aguilar (Chi) 74 70 74, J Colomo  (Esp) 69 75 74, D Howell (Eng) 69 73 76,

219 A Cañizares  (Esp) 69 75 75,

220 L Sang-Hee (Kor) 73 71 76, K Seng-Yong (Kor) 74 70 76, D Beck (Aus) 74 70 76, F Zanotti (Par) 69 73 78,

221 M Dong-Seop (Kor) 74 69 78, P Uihlein  (USA) 75 68 78, Y Y. E. (Kor) 70 72 79, T Wiratchant (Tha) 74 70 77