SK TELECOM OPEN RELATED STORIES SK Telecom Open Preview Round 1: Vesconte leads as Wie battles to 70 Round 2: Wie makes the cut and history in Seoul Round 3: Downpour forces cancellation of round 3 Round 4: Prom lifts maiden tour title by three Final Scores & Prize Money 'Big Dolphin' makes a splash in Order of Merit Choi looking for hat-trick in Seoul Wie aims to be a cut above at SK Telecom ASIAN GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Swedes sweep World Cup win Lin & Marksaeng near top 50 HK: Lin wins in 3-way playoff Asian Tour hits landmark 300 in HK Asian Tour releases 2009 schedule Report predicts 30% China golf growth GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Sweden win World Cup Internationals claim Lexus Cup Pampling wins in a playoff Choi wins Skins Game Amateur: EGU allow range finders

Downpour forces cancellation of third round

Torrential rain has forced the cancellation of the third round at the US$600,000 SK Telecom Open on Saturday.

Asian Tour’s Senior Tournament Director Wanchai Meechai said that continuous rain since 6am made conditions unplayable at the Sky 72 Golf Club, hence forcing organisers to make the event a 54-hole affair.

“Play has been cancelled today because of the torrential rain and strong winds and we will resume the third and final round tomorrow,” said Wanchai.

This is the second event on the Asian Tour this season which has been reduced to three rounds. The Maybank Malaysian Open, won by Korea's Charlie Wi, was also reduced to 54 holes due to poor weather. When Choi Kyung-ju of Korea won the SK Telecom Open in 2003, it was also played in three rounds.

Play was suspended at 9.45am before officials decided to cancel the third round at 12.15pm. Joint halfway leaders Prom Meesawat of Thailand and Iain Steel of Malaysia had yet to tee off.

The cancellation also means that American teenage sensation Michelle Wie, who made history by becoming the first woman golfer to make the cut on the Asian Tour, will have only one more crack at improving her tied 17th position.

The 16-year-old Hawaiian prodigy does not plan to add any pressure on herself on Sunday. “I will try to play another good solid round. I will try my hardest like what I’ve been doing. If I play well, that’s great. If I don’t win that’s okay. We'll see what happens,” said Wie, who is six shots behind the leaders.

“The fact that I played better in the second round than the first day is a good achievement for me personally. I played solid and I am set to do that again,” she said.

But Wie will face stiff competition from the leading duo of Prom and Steel who go into Sunday's final round tied on 11-under-par 133. Both players are chasing their first title on the Asian Tour.

Prom shot into contention with a superb 64 on Friday while Steel was equally impressive with a 66. India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, who won the Volvo China Open title last month, shot a 66 in the second round to share third place with Korea's Lee Seong-ho, who scored a 67.

Thaland's Chapchai Nirat and Brad Kennedy of Australia are a further stroke back while title holder Choi, known better as KJ, is tied 23rd on 140, seven shots behind the leaders.