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Adam Scott opened his campaign for a third gold jacket by firing in a flawless seven-under 64 in the opening round of the Australian Masters at Huntingdale yesterday.
“That’s the start I was after,” a beaming Scott said.
Starting at the 10th, he had two birdies on the way out and five coming home with his short putter pretty hot.
Scott won his two gold jackets in 2012 and 2013 and he’s among seven former champions in the field this week with Rod Pampling (2008), Richard Green (2004), Peter Lonard (2002 and 1997), Bradley Hughes (1998 and 1993), Peter Senior (1995 and 1991), and Craig Parry (1994).
Pampling and Green finished one-over, Hughes two-over, with Lonard and Parry four-over.
For most of the day, early starter Scott led by three shots until Western Australian Daniel Fox stormed home with birdies on his last five holes for a six-under 65.
At four-under – Peter Wilson, Matthew Stieger, and Matt Goggin.
At three-under – Alastair Presnell and Andrew Evans.
Only 27 of the 120 field are in the red after the opening round.
And that included the two oldest in the field, the Peter Pans of Australian golf – 56-year-olds Peter Senior and Peter Fowler.
Senior, who has played in all 30 Australian Masters at Huntingdale, finished one-under yesterday, ‘Chook’ Fowler finished one better.
But two of the marquee big guns could only fire blanks – Steve Bowditch and Nicolas Colsaerts.
Bowditch, who has won over $4 million this year on the USPGA tour, had the ‘get me outta here’ look very early in his round finishing with a double, six bogeys, and just two birdies for six-over.
Colsearts, known as the Belgian Bomber, wasn’t much better playing with Bowditch, carding a four-over with a double, four bogeys, and two birdies.
Both need very low rounds today to have any chance of making the weekend.
Others to keep an eye on – John Senden at two-under, US Amateur and NCAA Division 1 champion Bryson DeChambeau, who fired in a two-under with a slam dunk eagle on the eighth, and Cameron Smith (22) who had an even par round.
***
In Dubai, in the rich season-ending World Tour Championship, the sole Australian in the elite 60-man field Marcus Fraser has a share of the first round lead.
With seven birdies and a sole bogey, Fraser’s 66 tops the leaderboard with Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer, and Andy Sullivan.
Italian Francesco Molinari is alone on 67. But the heavyweights are on 68 – Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, and Branden Grace.
McIlroy and Willett, playing together, both had five birdies and a bogey. But Grace burst clear with five birdies in his first six holes, offset by two birdies and two bogeys in the next 12.
They are three of the top seven contenders for the honour of finishing the season as Europe’s number one. But the other four have made life difficult for themselves in the opening round.
South Korean Byeong Hun An needs to win and shot 70, Justin Rose carded 71, Louis Oosthuizen 73, and Shane Lowry 75.
The two-time defending champion Henrik Stenson had a nightmare 77 with a triple, three bogeys, and a birdie, his worst opening round in memory to be last on the leaderboard.