And we’re away on the tenth

With huge crowds surrounding the tenth tee, Smith launched his drive straight over the dogleg and looks to be in good shape. Attempting to follow, Herbert blocked his in what looks to be the right fairway bunker.

Not quite making the fairway trap, Herbert has just a wedge in from the right side of the fairway which he’s knocked in close.

From the very centre of the fairway, Smith’s flick wedge caught a nasty kick, leaving him with a 25ft birdie chance.

Both players just missed on the left edge and have tapped in for par.

Pin seeking on the 11th

With a tucked right pin on the par-3 11th, both Smith and Herbert have taken dead aim. Birdie chances incoming.

Herbert to putt first with an uphill 10ft chance, and he’s got it!

Smith now, also uphill from a similar distance, and his dies just on the right side. In for par.

Safely away on the 12th

With water all down the right, both players drives are safe on the par-5 12th. Herbert centre fairway, Smith just in the rough on the left but maybe with a better angle.

Both Herbert and Smith have gone for it in two. Smith just short, with long eagle putt from the front edge to a back pin. Herbert has gone long left, a chip with a bit of green to work with left.

With what has to be close to a 75ft putt, Smith rolls it to 6ft for a great chance at his first birdie of the day.

Herbert with amazing touch, knocks his chip within tap in range for birdie.

Bang! Smith rolls in his birdie as well.

Trouble lurking on the 13th

Herbert has sent his drive left on the par-4 13th, he will have to venture into the trees. Smith is way down the fairway in great shape.

Hitting from the red dirt under the trees, Herbert skips his second over the fairway bunker to the right side of the green, a great recovery.

Smith has just a flick wedge in, with no bunkers to contend with. Go time.

Smith knocks it in close setting up another fantastic birdie chance.

With not much green to work with, Herbert runs his third through the fringe, leaving 6ft to save his par.

Herbert lips hard on the right edge with his par putt, tap in bogey. While Smith rolls in his short birdie. Smith goes to 2-under while Herbert drops back to 1-under.

Green light special for both on 14

After two great drives, both Herbert and Smith have just a wedge in on the par-4 14th. Smith from just off the fairway on the left, Herbert from the right side of the fairway.

Both players have come up shorter than they would’ve liked to the back pin. Smith 20ft, Herbert 30ft.

Herbert and Smith’s outside birdie chances slide just past. Both tap in for par.

In close on 15

To a tucked front pin on the par-3 15th. Smith and Herbert have knocked it in close. Smith landing on the front edge and rolling to 6ft. Herbert stopping his dead behind the flag leaving 15ft.

Herbert rolls it in! The Victorian bounces back after his bogey on 13. Back to 2-under.

Not to be outdone, Smith rolls it in too! He’s 3-under on his day.

Social golf on 16

Both Smith and Herbert have found the right side of the fairway on the par-5 16th. Both with shots at the green, although Smith has to go over the trees creeping in.

Electing to layup, Smith looks to have lost it right finding the green side bunker. From the centre of the fairway Herbert has knocked his on, eagle putt incoming.

Smith has hit a fantastic mid range bunker shot to 6ft, another good birdie chance.

From the front edge of the green, Herbert’s eagle chance slides just by the right side. Tap in birdie to get him to 3-under.

Smith also rolls his birdie in!! He’s stays one ahead at 4-under.

Regulation stuff on 17

Both players found the fairway, both found the green, and both two putted. Onto 18.

Bombs away on 18

Playing first, Smith split the fairway, before Herbert launched his drive in the same spot, just running through the fairway but in no trouble.

Both players approaches spun more than anticipated leaving outside birdie chances.

Herbert’s birdie try slides by, as does Smith’s both have a bit left to clean up for par.

Easy as you like, two pars has Smith turn in 4-under, Herbert in 3-under. Smith tied at the top with Victorian Ben Eccles.

Up close and personal on 1

Smith and Herbert have drove it a long way down the short first, leaving just chips left for their second shots.

To ooos and ahhs from the crowd, Smith pulled out his short game magic, one-hop and stopping his ball a foot behind the pin.

Taking his in lower, Herbert stopped his ball just short of the hole, 3ft for birdie.

Both players confidently roll them in, and Smith has grabbed the outright lead at 5-under.

Work to do on 2

Both Smith and Herbert have come up short on the long par-3 second. Par will be a good result from here.

Herbert’s long birdie try pulls up short, and Smith’s slides by. Both with tricky par putts.

Smith is in safely, and so is Herbert.

Up and over the trees on 3

On the slight dogleg third, Smith and Herbert have both taken their drives over the trees and have great looks in. Herbert has absolutely bombed his right to the front of the green.

Another beautiful wedge leaves Smith a near tap-in for birdie.

Herbert brings his in low and it checks up to a near tap-in too. The Ripper GC team mates going blow for blow out here.

Smith hits! Herbert hits! Both players make birdie, and go 1 and 2 on the leaderboard.

Into the wind on 4

Turning back into the wind on the par-5 fourth, Smith’s drive has found the right fairway bunker, while Herbert has split the fairway with low piercing tee ball.

Forced to layup, Smith knocks an iron back into position. A wedge left for his third.

Herbert has the huge following crowd 10 metres behind him as he lines up to go for the green in two.

Not one to disappoint the people, Herbert launches a 3-wood, catching the left edge of the green.

Smith hits yet another great wedge, great birdie chance left.

Herbert’s second actually just rolled off the left edge, and with incredible touch almost holes the chip for eagle. Rolls by to 10ft for birdie.

Smith leaves the 20ft attempt just short, while Herbert knocks his in! They’re tied at the top at 6-under.

What a show these two are putting on for the fans that have come out early to follow their stars.

The long and the short of it on 5

It’s one of the toughest holes at Murray Downs, the long par-3 fifth, with water all the way to the green. Herbert’s ball has gone long right, while Smith’s hit the front bank and fed back down to the bowl at short of the green.

Smith has been brilliant today with wedge in hand, as he so often is, and almost holes it here on five. Tap in par.

Able to putt from off the green, Herbert rolls his attempt 6ft by. Work left for his par. It lips hard on the left edge and he gives his birdie from four right back.

Perfection on 6

Both players picked out a line over the centreline fairway trap with their caddies, and both executed to perfection.

Another wedge close for Smith, so too for Herbert. Both with great looks at birdie.

Smith rolls in another one!! The champ extends his lead at the top getting to 7-under.

Herbert rolls his just by, he stays at 5-under.

More fairways on 7

Smith down the middle, Herbert down the right. Both leaving great angles into the green.

Smith is safely on the green but Herbert has found some trouble. Going long left, his ball has found the pond.

Fortuitously, Herbert’s ball is sat up on the mud and he has a shot. It’s come out a lot better than he thought and had over-shot the putting surface. Scrambling to make bogey now.

Magic from Herbert leaves a tap in. It will be for bogey but from where he was, it could’ve been a lot worse. He drops back to 4-under.

Smith’s long birdie try comes up short, a tap in par to stay at 7-under atop the leaderboard.

Playing for position on 7

Both players have opted for irons off the tee on seven. With the hole doglegging to the left, Smith plays his ball up the middle, leaving a great angle in. Taking a more aggressive line, Herbert’s ball ducked under a tree on the corner and has rolled out to the centre of the fairway.

After actually just rolling through the fairway, Smith faces some tree trouble for his approach.

Hitting a masterful little cut with wedge, Smith’s ball lands right by the hole, and stops 10ft by.

Not to be upstaged, Herbert takes dead aim and all but holes it!! Taps in for birdie!

Smith rolls his attempt by, but cleans up for par.

With one hole to play, Smith is 7-under, Herbert 5-under.

Way up there on 9

Both players have gone for it on the short par-4 ninth. Herbert is safely green side left, while Smith is in the trees left but he has a shot. He’ll need some magic here.

Trundling a wedge down the hill, Smith’s second comes up short of the green.

Herbert now, nips a nice chip, leaving 4ft for a closing birdie.

Smith’s putt from the fringe slides by, and he will tap in for a closing par and opening round 7-under 64.

Herbert now for birdie, it’s in!! He closes with birdie for a 6-under 65 in round one.

Smith and Herbert are currently 1 and 2 on the leaderboard.

However those venues, like Murray Downs Golf and Country Club host of this week’s Ford NSW Open, are exactly the places he cut his teeth as a professional golfer.

Excited to be back in regional Australia, having grown up in Bendigo, Herbert has fond memories of the NSW Opens he has played, even if it has been a few years since he last teed it up in one.

With an elevated prize-purse of $800,000 and double Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit points on offer, this year’s NSW Open has attracted increased player interest, yet it has always been an important event for Herbert.

As a budding 21-year-old, grinding away in his first few seasons on Tour, Herbert’s career made a significant leap after his runner-up finish at the 2017 NSW Open at Twin Creeks Golf & Country Club Resort.

Despite Jason Scrivener running away with the Kel Nagle Cup that week by six-shots, Herbert describes his playing that week, and the two weeks that followed as an extremely pivotal moment.

“I remember that being a bit of a moment in my career where I sort of probably took a next step up,” Herbert said Wednesday.

“The following two weeks we played the Aussie Open and the Aussie PGA, and I played with Jason Day at the Aussie Open on the weekend and Sergio (Garcia) at the Aussie PGA.

“Within my team, we probably talk about the fact I probably grew up two years in those three weekends.”

Now 28, Herbert’s career has been on a steady upwards trajectory since that summer, and while the belief in his game was always there, getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the sports’ greatest enabled him to confirm that belief.

“I learned so much and probably learned that my game was on the right track in a way,” he said.

“I really benefited from seeing how J Day played and then how Sergio played, to be able to stack my game up against him and sort of go, ‘okay, look, I’m not there, but I’m on the right track’, and I could see how I can potentially get that good.”

That experience has stuck with the Victorian throughout his career and played a big part in his decision to extend his summer schedule, similar to 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith.

Herbert added this week along with the Webex Players Series Murray River in early 2025 to the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and BMW Australian PGA Championship he had pencilled in his calendar already.

Herbert and Smith got out earlier this week for a practice round with Tour winners from this season Jack Buchanan and Elvis Smylie, imparting some of the wisdom he has picked up over the years.

“Some of these kids probably haven’t played with players at the top level to really compare and see where their game matches up,” he said.

“We all show an interest in the next kids that are coming through because we want to do everything we can to help them out.

“It was very nice and hopefully we get to do it a little bit more over the next couple of weeks too.”

Self-described as “too competitive to not care”, Herbert is certainly at Murray Downs to compete this week, the memories of getting so close in 2017 potentially providing that extra motivation and hunger.

While that result may still sting, Herbert looks back fondly on 2017, even if his humble lodgings that week likely bears little resemblance to where he is staying this year.

“There was about five of us all staying in an apartment above a car garage where you take your car in to get service sort of thing,” he laughed fondly.

“All sorts of noises going on through the night. I reckon someone slept on a couch, but it was back when that was fun.

“Everyone will tell you those early years on Tour when you were doing that kind of stuff was some of your fondest memories though.

“I’ve got a lot of good memories from those three weeks, but yeah, in particular the 2017 New South Wales Open.”

As for his chances this week, Herbert says his game is not quite where he would like it, but he has been putting in the work over the off season.

“It’s been a little rusty,” he said. “It’s been a good bit of time off since my last event in Dallas, so yeah, just trying to get my body right again.

“The course is in great shape. I think it’s going to be a really good tournament venue this week.

“It looks like it’s going to be warm through the weekend, so it’ll firm everything up and should play like a true country golf course.”

Photo: Golf NSW