‘Left a couple out there’: Aus PGA champ’s round 1 regret

Champion six years in the past, Davis put himself in prime place for one more crack on the Stonehaven Cup with a nine-under par 63 earlier than the arrival of afternoon rain.

His spherical featured seven birdies and an eagle and would have equalled the course report however didn’t depend as a result of gamers have been allowed most well-liked lies due to the heavy downpours that drenched The Lakes and The Australian programs the day earlier than.

“I made a few extra good putts at this time to get that rating maintaining on happening, but it surely was a extremely stable spherical of golf,” Davis stated.

“I do know this place comparatively effectively, so I felt like I had loads of good recollections within the financial institution to exit and play the course with.

“That’s by far the cleanest spherical I’ve ever had round right here and with out the wind, it was superior to take advantage of the circumstances the way in which they have been.”

American Patrick Rodgers was second total among the many early starters after a 64, only one away from Scotland’s Grant Forest, who birdied 5 of his final eight holes for a six-under 65 at The Australian.

Final week’s Australian PGA champion Min Woo Lee, enjoying the Lakes, was ideally positioned at five-under after carding a flawless 67.

“I felt like I left a pair on the market on the finish there, however yeah, bogey-free, stable. I used to be truly a little bit anxious about this course,” Lee stated.

“I solely performed 9 holes and walked the opposite 9, so I didn’t have the perfect prep. However yeah, I’m fairly pleased with my rating.

“I really feel like my golf is correct there and if I’ve a nasty swing, which I did a number of

occasions at this time, my up and down sport, my chipping placing sport saved me. So, it felt

fairly stable on the market.”

Final 12 months’s British Open winner Cameron Smith posted a 71 after struggling to get sizzling.

Nonetheless erratic however trying higher than when he missed the minimize on the PGA final week, Smith blended 4 birdies with three bogeys.

“I believe there’s undoubtedly one thing to construct on there, for certain. I didn’t really feel as sort of anxious and uncomfortable I suppose,” Smith stated.

“There’s a few actually powerful photographs on the market, notably tee photographs, so it was good to only commit.

“I hit a pair within the water, but it surely was good to only really feel that dedication and truly attempt to hit the suitable shot. Job accomplished.”

South Korea’s Jiyai Shin snatched the early lead within the girls’s match with a five-under 68, whereas Greg Norman medal winner Minjee Lee recovered from a double bogey that left her two-over on the flip to complete at minus three.

DAVIS RACES OUT OF BLOCKS, SMITH STRUGGLES

Cameron Davis is on monitor for a sensational first spherical on the Australian Open after bursting out of the gates on an ideal, sunny day in Sydney’s japanese suburbs.

The 2017 Stonehaven Cup winner, Davis reeled off 4 birdies and an eagle inside his first eight holes after starting on the again 9 at The Lakes.

He then picked up one other two birdies on the fourth and seventh holes to carry the early lead at eight-under with two holes nonetheless to play.

Scotland’s Grant Forest, enjoying at The Australian golf course close by, snatched the early clubhouse lead when he signed for a six-under 65, steaming residence with 5 birdies in his final eight holes.

Final week’s Australian PGA champion Min Woo Lee, enjoying The Lakes, was ideally positioned at five-under after carding a flawless 67 whereas his enjoying companion Cameron Smith posted a 71 after struggling to get sizzling.

Nonetheless erratic however trying higher than when he missed the minimize on the PGA final week, Smith blended 4 birdies with three bogeys.

South Korea’s Jiyai Shin was the early chief within the girls’s match, attending to four-under with three to play at The Lakes.

Minjee Lee, the favorite to win the ladies’s occasion, was at two-under with one gap left after a rollercoaster spherical that included seven birdies but in addition three bogeys and a double.

Japan’s Ayaka Sugihara offered a spotlight reel second when she made a hole-in-one on the 144 metre eleventh, discovering the cup with a sweetly struck seven-iron.

The highest gamers have been greeted by large galleries and morning sunshine after they arrived on the programs in Sydney’s japanese suburbs after heavy rain yesterday pressured organisers to permit gamers to scrub and substitute any balls that have been muddy.

AUS OPEN LOOMS AS ULTIMATE TEST OF NERVES AND PATIENCE

Whoever wins both of this week’s Australian Opens can have earned their share of the $3.7 million prizemoney the arduous manner as a result of the tournaments are shaping up as the final word check of golf.

For the second 12 months in a row, however the first time in Sydney, each the boys’s and ladies’s tournaments can be performed concurrently – at two separate programs.

Which means the eventual winners not solely have to higher their opponents, but in addition should navigate their manner round two neighbouring, however very totally different championship layouts.

Situated proper subsequent to one another in Sydney’s posh japanese suburbs, The Australian and The Lakes are each pristine golf programs that may’t be underestimated as a result of they’re stacked with distinctive challenges – from water hazards to quick, slippery greens and seaside winds that change route with out a second’s warning.

“Each golf programs are in tremendous form, they’re immaculate,” stated Nick Dastey, the overall supervisor of tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

“The conditioning of each golf programs is unbelievable. They make you wish to play golf, however they current a number of challenges.”

Underneath the distinctive format of the dual tournaments, Thursday’s and Friday’s first and second rounds for women and men can be performed at each programs, with everybody switching venues after the opening day.

The ultimate two rounds will all be performed at The Australian, with the highest 60-placed males and 32 girls making the weekend minimize.

With rain and wind forecast for the remainder of the week, the greens ought to soften up, making the course play longer and putting extra significance on correct method photographs.

“It’s a little bit bit totally different to final 12 months’s (Australian) Open, on the (Victorian) Sandbelt the place the grass may be very comparable throughout each venues,” Dastey stated.

“There’s a good bit of distinction in each these golf programs, not simply grasses however simply the overall arrange and the way wind can have an effect on each golf programs. They’ll play fairly tough.”

Each programs are uncommon in that they don’t end with regulation par-four holes, with the final at The Lakes a tantalising par-three and the ultimate gap at The Australian a par-five that’s traditionally the simplest gap of all.

“That may create some unbelievable finishes, the flexibility to make an eagle on the final gap to win the match or make a birdie to tie,” Dastey stated.

“After all all of the par-fives current the perfect probabilities to the gamers (to make birdies) however each programs have very difficult begins and I believe the par-threes are the place the match can be received and misplaced.”

Cam Davis, who received the Stonehaven Cup when it was performed at The Australian in 2017, stated that whereas each programs will be difficult to play when the wind blows, he nonetheless expects the eventual winners to complete within the purple numbers.

“It’s a superb, sturdy check all the way in which round right here and for those who can preserve your self out of hassle, pars are by no means going to harm you right here,” Davis stated.

“However I believe you’re nonetheless going to wish to shoot some good scores this week to get your self up the highest.”

The one factor everybody agrees is that the important thing to successful can be for gamers to stay affected person.

. When the Australian Open was held at The Lakes in 2018, the primary three holes performed the toughest of all.

However the 4 par-fives are all situated between the eighth and seventeenth holes, so there are probabilities in a while.

The opening stretch at The Australian can be powerful however the run residence is stuffed with alternatives, setting the stage for a grandstand end.

“The Aussie Open, the match meaning a lot to all Australians,” stated Adam Scott.

“It has an awesome historical past and one I’ve been fortunate sufficient to win, but in addition had a number of shut calls.

“Enjoying fairly properly for the time being. I’d wish to get myself within the combine and attempt to win a second Aussie Open this week.”

Initially revealed as Australian Open Golf 2023: Scores, updates and leaders from opening spherical