Richie Ramsay battles back into contention

Richie Ramsay moved back into the title race during the weather-delayed third round of the Ballantine's Championship at the Blackstone club in Korea.

The former South African Open champion had lifted himself onto the seven-under mark through 13 holes before play was suspended for the day due to heavy rain and the threat of lightning.

Aberdonian Ramsay, who birdied three of his first five holes, was three-under for his round and will return to action this morning in a share of fourth, three behind joint leaders Spanish leader Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Australian Brett Rumford.

Peter Whiteford, the only other Scot to survive the cut, had reeled off nine straight pars on an outward half that started at the tenth but the wheels came off his round with a triple-bogey eight on the first and a double-bogey five on the third. Whiteford's ruinous run had dropped him back to a five-over total when play was halted.

Jimenez produced a flawless front nine to move into a share of the lead with Rumford before the bad weather struck.

The Spaniard, who opened with back-to-back birdies, was three under par through nine holes to join overnight leader Rumford on ten under overall.

Rumford, who led by three shots overnight, was level par through nine after a bogey and a birdie.

Welshman Rhys Davies is also handily placed on eight under, while world number one Lee Westwood moved back into contention, birdies at the first and second holes putting him on two under through 12 to lie six under.

Davies had three birdies in his first five holes before a bogey at the sixth provided his first setback.

Ireland's Shane Lowry joined Westwood on six under.

Jimenez was delighted with his start to the third round.

"I played very well the first nine holes, hitting it very well - no bogeys, three birdies," the Spaniard said on the European Tour website. "I birdied the first and second hole, I played very well on those two holes.

"Tomorrow I play 27 holes. I feel good, I feel fine. Tomorrow is a marathon."

Rumford admitted he found the going tough as he saw his lead wiped out.

He said: "There were some tricky pins out there today. They were placed up on the top part of all the tiers and ridges and it was pretty tricky trying to get on the right tier.

"You had to be very, very precise. I stayed patient and hit some nice golf shots, but unfortunately just kept hitting nice golf shots to about 40, 50 feet."