SEOUL, May 19, 2013 (AFP) - Griffin can credit a spectacular 40-foot putt from off the back of the 18th green Saturday for the win, as it gave him a one-shot lead over Korean veteran Kang Wook-Soon at the end of three rounds in the one billion won ($900,000) tournament.
The tournament ended in similar circumstances in 2011 when Kurt Barnes was declared the winner after fog prevented any play in the final round.
Built on a plateau on Jeju island, Pinx Golf Club is prone to rolling fog from the extinct Mount Halla volcano, but the weather had been perfect for two rounds -- albeit damp and windy for the third.
"It's unfortunate to finish like this, but I'll take it," said Griffin, 29, who banked 200,000 won for the win and leapt to the top of the OneAsia Order of Merit with earnings of more than $233,000 for the season.
"I thought my final putt yesterday was big as it gave me the lead, but I didn't think it would be the winning putt. It just goes to show you really must try and make everything," he said in a release from the organisers.
Griffin recorded rounds of 64, 67 and 72 for a 13-under par aggregate of 203 around the 6,732 metre course -- one better than Kang and four ahead of China's Hu Mu and Koreans Lee Ki-Sang and Park Do-Kyu.
He developed a liking for Korea after winning OneAsia's Charity High1 Resort Open in September -- his second professional title following victory at the South Pacific Open Golf Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia a year earlier.
"I never really played well in Korea in the past -- which is surprising because I think the courses suit me -- but it looks like I've found my way here now," said Griffin.
Final scores:
203 - Matthew Griffin (AUS) 64-67-72
204 - Kang Wook-Soon (KOR) 65-72-67
207 - Lee Ki-Sang (KOR) 67-68-72, Park Do-Kyu (KOR) 67-66-74, Hu Mu (CHN) 66-68-73
208 - David Oh (USA) 66-72-70, An Jae-Hyun (NZL) 71-69-68, Kim Hyung-Tae (KOR) 67-69-72, Moon Kyong-Jun (KOR) 67-69-72
209 - Michael Long (NZL) 66-72-71, Lee Soo-min (KOR) 67-70-72, Kim Do-Hoon (KOR) 66-70-73, K.J. Choi (KOR) 69-67-73, Kim Chang-Yoon (KOR) 68-62-79, Jason Norris (AUS) 66-66-77