A regular visitor to Papua New Guinea for more than a decade, Burns was at Royal Port Moresby in May for the PNG Open won by Lachlan Barker, the opening event of the 2023/2024 PGA Tour of Australasia season.

On that occasion players were faced with a water-logged golf course with very little run, conditions that could not have been further from what welcomed the field of 46 SParms PGA Legends Tour players on Friday.

Tied for third at last week’s PNG Senior Open, Burns had three birdies inside his first six holes at Royal Port Moresby but could not advance his score any further, ending the day with a score of 3-under 69 to lead Guy Wall (70) by one.

“I got off to a great start. I was 3-under after six and then put the handbrake on a little bit,” conceded Burns.

“Three-putted nine, birdied 10 to be 4-under but then came home a little slow.”

Based on the Sunshine Coast, Burns had little trouble adjusting to the hot and humid conditions, adjusting to the change in the golf course his greatest challenge.

An opening round of 2-under 70 was Burns’s best score when he finished tied for 41st in May and he was happy to see the ball rolling out for the inaugural Legends Classic.

“Hell of a lot different,” Burns said of the course conditions.

“Back in May it was an absolute quagmire. They’d had that much rain it was frightening.

“This week there are cracks in the fairways so we’re getting a little bit more run which is great.

Burns’s sole bogey of the day came following an errant drive at the par-4 14th, Wall outright second at 2-under followed by in-form Western Australian Brendan Chant at 1-under.

Round 2 commences at 7.30am Saturday.

Round 1 scores