DP World Tour : ISPS Handa Australian Open Leaderboard
David Micheluzzi fired his lowest DP World Tour round to open up a three-shot lead after day one of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
The local favourite has enjoyed an excellent start to the season on home soil, securing a maiden top ten last week in Brisbane, and he has brought that form south with him to Melbourne.
The 26-year-old ranked 556th in the world, carded a 63 at Victoria Golf Club to get to seven under and lead the way from countryman Matthew Griffin and Kiwi Josh Geary.
Last week's winner Cam Smith played what he called "pretty rubbish" and posted +1 71 leaving him a challenge to make the cut on Friday. The top 60 and ties make the cut in both fields, but in a twist a second cut after Saturday will leave 30 players from each tour playing on the same course for the first time.
Australia's national open is breaking new ground this week with 300 players taking part across the men's, women's and All Abilities championships.
In the women's event, Australia's Grace Kim carded a course-record 66 at Kingston Heath Golf Club to sit at seven under, two ahead of compatriot Hannah Green and South Korea's Jiyai Shin.
"I say this all the time but I love beating the guys, I think it's just fun," Kim said. "For the spectators as well, it's just easier for us to showcase what we've got."
Micheluzzi is a recent winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia, lifting the trophy at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics, and he was delighted to tie the course record on Melbourne's famed Sandbelt.
"I’ve just gotten better at everything," he said. "I feel like my course management’s really good all the time. I know how to think around a golf course. Just hitting it better, just comfortable with playing these events now.
"I think this is our seventh event in the space of nine weeks, so just being comfortable in the situation. I think everything today just felt good. I actually wanted to keep playing, so I reckon I could have made a whole lot more birdies.
"I think when I turned pro it was scary. It was the first time I’ve actually been scared on a golf course, scared of where I’m going to hit it and if I’m going to hit it in the trees or in the bunker. I was worried about what everyone else thought rather than just playing golf.
"I think the more experience, the better. I think I’ve played enough pro events now that it’s just another round of golf. If I shoot 75, 76 I still go home, mum tells me to unload the dishwasher, all that kind of stuff. It just feels like a normal round of golf now, which is great."
No comments:
Post a Comment