Eaves secures coveted #NZOpen start

Warwick Golf Club Head Professional Sam Eaves has continued a pre-qualifying streak that has this week secured him a place in the field at the 101st New Zealand Open, presented by Sky Sport.

Eaves shot a seven-under par 64 to lead all scorers in the final qualifying event held at the Caboolture Golf Club in Queensland on Monday.

The former full-time ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia competitor finished tied for 23^rd in his last attempt at the NZ Open title in 2015 and will relish the opportunity to return to the top ranks of golf.

“It feels awesome to qualify,” said Eaves, who has played the tournament three times in his career.

“I can’t believe I’ve qualified for another event and also have the opportunity to play the New Zealand Open again. It would have to be my favourite place to play golf.”

Tour professional Michael Wright finished one shot behind Eaves with fellow Queenslander Jack Munro, who has played on the Asian Tour and European Challenge Tour, shooting a five-under 66 to claim the final spot.

The trio will be making a hasty flight across the Tasman to prepare for the 101^st New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort and The Hills starting on Thursday.

At Cromwell Golf Club in New Zealand three amateurs have prevailed from 53 golfers at the final qualifying tournament for the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

Two highly promising young amateurs, Auckland teenager Jimmy Zheng and Christchurch’s Matthew McLean will realise their dream, while experienced Wellington course superintendent, Adam Church will play in his second New Zealand Open.

Zheng and Church both fired six-under par 66s while McLean was the final player to finish, shooting a four-under 68 to snatch the third and final spot up for grabs at the Cromwell Golf Club today.

There were six players tied on three-under 69 waiting for a playoff until McLean charged home to edge them by one shot.

Zheng, 18, from the Howick club was one-under par through nine holes today before firing five birdies on the second nine in his 66. The Youth Olympian is one of the most promising young amateurs in the country.

Joining him is the 38-year-old Church, who played in the New Zealand Open at the Hills in 2009, but had not contemplated entering the qualifying this year.

“My wife entered me and I played well enough in regional qualifying to make it to final today. I played really well today and this is pretty exciting,” said Church.

“With my job and my family I don’t get much time to actually play golf. So this is a real bonus and I am excited.”

Leading Scores Final Qualifying, Cromwell Golf Club, P designates Professional, Par 72, 3 to qualify:

66 Jimmy Zheng (Howick), Adam Church (Judgeford)

68 Matthew McLean (Harewood)

69 Callum Judkins (Otago), Jayden Ford (Judgeford), Lachie McDonald (P, Marton), Victor Janin (P, Rotorua), James Hydes (Gulf Harbour), Jesper Bengtsson (Noth Shore)

70 Mark Hutson (P, Unattached), Yongiu Kin (Whitford Park), Richard Lee (P, NZL) Charlie Smail (Walton), Jordan Woodall (Cambridge).

Leading Scores, Final Qualifying, Caboolture GC, Queensland, all professionals, Par 71, 3 to qualify:

64 Samuel Eves (Queensland)

65 Michael Wright (Queensland)

66 Jack Munro (Queensland)

67 Aaron Wilkin (Queensland), Charlie Dann (Queensland)

68 Chang Gi Lee (Korea), Jihoon Kim (Korea), Peter Martin (Queensland), Austin Bautista (NSW), Douglas Klein (Queensland), Jordan Mullaney (NSW)

69 Lloyd Radcliffe (NSW), Anthony Choat (South Australia).

The top honour at this week’s Victorian Sport Awards will be given to golf legend Peter Thomson.

A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame since 1988 and Sport Australia Hall of Fame since 1985, Thomson will be recognised by the Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award.

Known to many colloquially as “Five-time” for the number of occasions he lifted the Claret Jug as Open champion, Thomson’s honour not only encapsulates his on-course results, but also his peerless contribution to golf outside the ropes.

Vicsport chairman Ron Gauci was delighted to make the announcement for the man who passed away in Melbourne on 20 June 2018 at the age of 88.

“Peter’s contribution to golf in Victoria was immense and his legacy continues today,” Gauci said.

“We are pleased and proud to recognise Peter’s achievements around the world and the very high standing his reputation has today.”

Previous Outstanding Contribution to Victorian Sport Award winners include Nicole Livingstone, Kevin Sheedy, Cadel Evans, Catherine Freeman, John Bertrand, Bill Lawry and Susan Alberti.

Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt said Thomson’s name fitted neatly alongside those as someone who was almost universally admired.

“You’d have to go a long way in golf circles to find anyone who spoke ill of Peter … and his impact will be felt for generations to come,” Pitt said.

“Most know of his wins, but he also was an ambassador, a visionary and a great influencer.

“He was essentially the first person to envisage what golf in Asia could and should become and spent a great deal of time building the framework for golf in our region and beyond.

“That includes his extraordinary legacy with the PGA of Australia, a famous organisation of which he was president for a small matter of 32 years from 1962.

“He was a great writer, designer and raconteur … all of which continue to shape how others view the sport and its place in Australian society.”

Thomson was a prolific tournament champion around the world, winning the national championships of 10 countries, including the New Zealand Open a staggering nine times.

He won the Open Championship five times between 1954-65 and is the only golfer to win a modern major three times in succession – the Open in 1954, 1955, and 1956.

He competed on the United States PGA Tour in 1953 and 1954 before winning the Texas International Open in 1956 and achieving his best finish in one of the three majors staged in the United States (fourth at the US Open) to finish ninth on the money list despite never fully committing to the American circuit.

He remains the only successful captain of the International team, having led it to the 1998 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

Off the course, Thomson was active as a golf writer for 50 years, was an honorary member of Royal Melbourne and designed in excess of 100 golf courses in Australia and around the world.

The Victorian Sport Awards is the night of nights for the Victorian sporting community, recognising and celebrating the achievements of our home-grown premier athletes, grassroots heroes and those who have shown commitment and dedication to community sport in Victoria.

Presented by the State Government of Victoria and Vicsport on Wednesday at Marvel Stadium, the Victorian Sport Awards honours individual and team athletes, coaches, administrators and volunteers from both metropolitan and regional Victoria.

Victorian Will Heffernan can shed the pain of recent Q School heartbreak after leading a group of five Australians to earn their 2020 Asian Tour cards at Qualifying School in Thailand on Sunday.

Contested over 90 holes, eight Aussies were among the top 75 to advance to Sunday’s fifth and final round with Heffernan, Scott Strange, Cory Crawford, Ben Eccles and Kevin Yuan all finishing in the top 35 to secure an international schedule this year.

There was disappointment for Andrew Martin who finished one shot shy of the number required with Rick Kulacz and Dale Brandt-Richards a further shot back in a tie for 40th.

A member of the victorius Victorian team at the 2018 Interstate Series, Heffernan has seen teammates such as Zach Murray and David Micheluzzi make strong early impressions on the professional game as he has fought to secure playing opportunities both in Australia and abroad.

Attending Asian Tour Q School for the third time, Heffernan had to first come through First Stage of Q School – book-ending nine rounds in the space of two weeks with rounds of 77 and 66 – and believes previous Q School disappointments proved important in finishing runner-up to South African Benjamin Follett-Smith.

“I have been to a fair few of Qualifying Schools over the last couple of years and I have gained some good experiences which helped this week,” Heffernan told Asian Tour Media following his 5-under 66 consisting of six birdies and the lone bogey.

“To get my Asian Tour card for this season just means a lot to me.

“It was pretty windy earlier but I made some nice putts.

“It’s been a really enjoyable week. I’ve been playing quite a bit in Asia now and I think I’ve gotten used to the temperature. I feel more prepared this year.”

The last of Scott Strange’s two Asian Tour wins came 14 years ago and as the 42-year-old eyes off a busier schedule in 2020 has noticed a significant change in the playing depth now found in Asia.

“I have been playing in Japan over the last few years and I thought I would try and get my Asian Tour card and give myself an opportunity to play more this season,” said Strange, who shot an even-par round of 71 to finish tied for ninth.

“The playing standards on the Asian Tour have gotten better over the years.

“That’s where it’s going to go. Everything gets better. There are so many kids out here now. The boy I played with (in the third round) is only in his 20s. I think he wasn’t even born when I turned professional.

“When I first came out here, the average age was about 30.”

Asian Tour

Qualifying School Final Stage

Lake View Resort and Golf Club, Hua Hin, Thailand

2 Will Heffernan 71-66-70-68-66—341

T9 Scott Strange 69-69-66-70-71—345

T17 Ben Eccles 70-72-68-68-69—347

T17 Cory Crawford 71-71-66-70-69—347

T23 Kevin Yuan 68-72-69-72-67—348

T36 Andrew Martin 71-69-74-67-69—350

T40 Taewook Koh 70-73-66-70-72—351

T40 Rick Kulacz 73-68-69-69-72—351

T40 Dale Brandt-Richards 68-72-68-72-71—351

T72 Campbell Rawson 68-69-75-70—282

T84 Blake Collyer 71-72-67-73—283

T84 Jack Lane-Weston 70-72-69-72—283

T84 Daniel Gale 74-70-68-71—283

MC John Lyras 75-72—147

MC Matthew Lisk 75-75—150

MC David Gleeson 75-76—151

The malaise that has plagued Cameron Smith since his breakthrough individual win at the Sony Open has been shrugged free in the final round of the WGC-Mexico Championship at Club De Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City.

As Patrick Reed overturned a one-shot deficit to claim his second WGC title with a 4-under 67 in the final round, Smith roared up the leaderboard with a Sunday 64 matched only by Brandt Snedeker as the best of the day.

His playoff victory at Waialae Country Club in January had many predicting a breakout year for Smith on the PGA TOUR yet in the three starts since he has missed two cuts and finished tied for 64th at the Farmers Insurance Open.

It was a sluggish start too in Mexico as Smith sat 4-over through 36 holes but a 2-under 69 on Saturday was a positive indicator of what was to follow in the final round.

Draining a putt from just inside 34 feet after driving the green at the 316-yard par-4 first gave Smith the perfect platform from which to build, the eagle and birdie putts from 14, four and 18 feet sending him to the back nine 5-under on his round.

A laser-like wedge to inside five feet delivered another birdie at the par-4 10th only to hand it back at the par-5 11th with an untidy bogey, his 48-foot perfectly-weighted birdie putt at the par-3 13th the highlight of his closing six holes.

The round of 7-under 64 moved Smith up 26 spots on the leaderboard to be the pick of the Aussies in a tie for 22nd, one shot to the better of last-start winner Adam Scott and two clear of Kiwi Ryan Fox in a tie for 29th.

Playing in his first WGC event, New Zealand Open defending champion Zach Murray was inside the top 20 for much of the week but dropped to a tie for 48th with a 4-over round of 75 on the final day, a four-putt double bogey on the par-3 17th an unfortunate end to an otherwise positive week.

Like Smith, Kiwi Tim Wilkinson made up significant ground in the final round, climbing 18 spots to be tied for 20th at the PGA TOUR’s concurrent Puerto Rico Open courtesy of a 5-under 67, nine shots adrift of champion Viktor Hovland.

An eagle at the 72nd hole helped Cameron Davis continue his consistent start to 2020, tied for 27th alongside fellow Aussie Rhein Gibson.

World Golf Championships

WGC-Mexico Championship

Club De Golf Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico

T22 Cameron Smith 73-73-69-64—279 $US105,500

T26 Adam Scott 74-68-68-70—280 $90,000

T29 Ryan Fox 72-68-73-68—281 $73,500

T42 Marc Leishman 74-70-68-71—283 $49,500

T48 Zach Murray 71-69-69-75—284 $45,500

T58 Lucas Herbert 75-70-74-69—288 $36,500

65 Scott Hend 72-75-75-70—292 $33,750

PGA TOUR

Puerto Rico Open

Grand Reserve Country Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico

T20 Tim Wilkinson 69-70-71-67—277 $US31,607

T27 Cameron Davis 69-71-69-69—278 $20,119

T27 Rhein Gibson 66-70-72-70—278 $20,119

T44 Cameron Percy 70-71-70-69—280 $9,220

T64 John Senden 70-70-73-72—285 $6,450

MC Robert Allenby 72-75—147

Maiden victories rarely come easy and for newly crowned Isuzu Queensland Open champion Anthony Quayle the statement rings true.

Following a rollercoaster final round at Pelican Waters Golf Club the Queenslander has won his maiden Professional tournament in a playoff against amateur Jack Thompson.

The 25-year-old carded rounds of 67, 69, 67 and 70 for a 15-under 273 total but it was a regulation par at the first playoff hole that saw Quayle win his first ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia title.

“It feels incredible. I’ve given myself a few chances recently and haven’t been able to pull it off and the feeling of frustration or regret walking off the 18th green is definitely not present at the moment,” Quayle said.

“I felt for a while that my first win would be a pretty difficult one to get done and maybe it was difficult because I thought it into reality.

“I showed myself today what it takes to win and it doesn’t have to go perfect. You can make quite a few mistakes and still have a chance to win. I think it’s a pretty good lesson for me today.”

After starting the final round tied for the lead at 13-under alongside Thompson and James Anstiss, Quayle moved ahead of the pack early with birdies at the first, third, fifth and seventh holes.

The back-nine proved more of a challenge, however, when he fell victim to a bogey, double-bogey combo and the 11th and 12th holes.

Despite admittedly ‘giving myself a bit of a serving’, Quayle managed to turn his mindset around thanks to his coach and caddy for the week, Ken Berndt (KB).

“KB my coach helped me out a lot,” Quayle said while also thanking his parents and wife Sofia for their support.

“We got to a few ahead and then went bogey, double and Jack went par, birdie and all of a sudden he was one ahead and was playing really nicely.

“To catch him I was going to have to play really good golf. KB had a chat to me; got me to compose myself and I barely missed a shot coming in the last five holes.

“He was saying to me as we went to the first playoff hole I didn’t sign up for this extra work, but I wouldn’t be here without him. He’s coached me since I was 14, constantly helping, incredibly selfless, just always there to help you out.”

The Japan Golf Tour player’s record boasts a number of top-10 finishes worldwide including second place at the 2018 Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways but his first win, made in his home state, will stick in his memory forever.

The moment is one Low Amateur Honours winner Jack Thompson will remember for years to come but the disappointment of a narrowly missed win was front of mind after the final putt dropped.

“To be honest I’m pretty gutted. I probably should have grabbed it on the last there, I had about a 12-footer for birdie but at the end of the day I’m still pretty rapt to get Low Am but it would have been nice to come home with the trophy,” Thompson said.

“I really wanted it. I’ve had a few close calls in amateur events and carried on to here. I’m still proud of myself to even take it to a playoff.

“I was proud of myself for sticking in and it’s going to go a long way in terms of all of the other pro events I play, just backing myself on the back-nine even though I didn’t get the job done.”

Brad Kennedy fought back in the final round to finish tied for third alongside Jake Higginbottom at 13-under the card. Steven Jeffress, amateur Josh Armstrong, veteran Richard Green and Kiwi James Anstiss tied for fifth place at 12-under.

Quayle takes home the winner’s share of the $137,500 prize purse, $20,625, as well as Official World Golf Ranking Points and full exemption onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the 2021 season.

Quayle will now travel to Queenstown for the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour co-sanctioned 101st New Zealand Open which will tee off at Millbrook Resort & The Hills from Thursday 27 February.

The leaders came back to the field and the lurkers came out of the pack on day three of the Isuzu Queensland Open, leaving a wide open finish to be played out tomorrow at Pelican Waters.

Three players – New Zealander James Anstiss, Queenslander Anthony Quayle and South Australian amateur Jack Thompson – hold the lead at 13-under through three rounds, all going sub-par on Saturday.

But the remarkable fact was that the last group in round three – David Bransdon, Brad Kennedy and Josh Armstrong – all gave up ground. Bransdon had a 73, Armstrong a 74 and Kennedy a 75, pushing them back into the pack.

Aside from the leading trio Western Australian Jarryd Felton and New South Welshman Jake Higginbottom at 12-under are just a shot from the lead and in with a strong chance tomorrow.

At 10-under par alongside Victorian Matias Sanchez, former champion Bransdon has some work to do in the final round, three shots back.

⛳️THREE-WAY TIE FOR THE LEAD! ⛳️@anthonyqgolf, Jack Thompson and James Anstiss are tied at 13-under to lead the #QldOpen with 18 holes to play at @pelicangolfclub ?️‍♂️

Jarryd Felton and Jake Higginbottom sit one shot back at 12-under.

Leaderboard ? https://t.co/VhIgEEn0l7 pic.twitter.com/LLRcSk3eat
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) February 22, 2020

Quayle, 25, will likely go in as the favourite with his good form on the Japanese tour and his tied-15th finish at the ISPS Handa Vic Open. He would love a win in his home state tomorrow.

“If I play how I did the last three days, I think it’s either going to be a winning score or pretty close to it,” he said. “I have to try and enjoy myself out there. I’ve been in the last group or the second-last group, this is the third tournament in a row. I’ve given myself a chance.”

Anstiss, 24, from Queenstown, is seeking his first win. His day began with a bad tee shot, and ended with a bogey, but in between he was brilliant.

“I didn’t think it was going to happen after my first tee shot, lost ball,’’ he said. “I was heading back in a cart to hit my third (shot) off the first, so 66 I’ll take. It was pretty good.”

Thompson, 21, originally from Port Lincoln, plays out of The Grange in Adelaide and is one of this country’s best amateurs. But he surprised himself with his 68 on Saturday.

“I’d like to say I thought I was going to do well and up there, but probably not,” he said. “Probably not to be 13-under and tied for the lead.’’

Thompson won the 2018 men’s Riversdale Cup and is rapt to be in contention.

“I’ve been playing well,” he said. “It’s nice to finally put it into a pro event. I’ve played a few now, a few good finishes. It’s nice to be up the top. I’m stoked.

“It’s my first final group in a pro event. I’m ready for the challenge and what it brings.”

The final round of the Isuzu Queensland Open will begin at 8:50am AEST while the leading group of Anstiss, Quayle and Thompson will take to the first tee at 10:430m.

Visit pga.org.au for the full #QldOpen leaderboard.

There’s been much talk of a changing of the guard on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, but David Bransdon and Brad Kennedy aren’t having a bar of it.

The pair, as well as fellow 40-something Richard Green, are all perfectly poised to halt the advance of the youth brigade at Pelican Waters this weekend, holding sway at the halfway point of the Isuzu Queensland Open.

While New South Welshman Jake Higginbottom matched Bransdon’s opening day course-record 63 today, it wasn’t enough to run down the Victorian’s edge.

Higginbottom roared through from +1 overnight all the way to -8 to sit alongside emerging pair Jarryd Felton and Anthony Quayle in a share of fifth with Green.

Talented amateur pair Josh Armstrong, of Canberra, and Jack Thompson, of Adelaide, sit third and fourth at 11 and 10 under, respectively, but they’re spotting a couple of Japan Golf Tour players a start for the weekend on the Sunshine Coast.

Kennedy, one of the hottest golfers on the planet in November and early December, has shown flashes of brilliance in the opening weeks of his 2020 campaign.

And the Queenslander did so again today with six birdies en route to a 68 that added to his opening 65 to leave him 11 under in total.

But it was a great approach that set up a tap-in birdie on the last that preserved Bransdon’s one-stroke lead with the Victorian, a former winner of the T.B. Hunter Cup at Brookwater, signing for a second-round 69 to sit 12 under.

David Bransdon has reclaimed the lead of the #QldOpen with a 3-under second round.

Terry Pilkadaris chats with Dave post round ?#PGATA pic.twitter.com/CMfoRl9b54
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) February 21, 2020

Bransdon immediately said he’d look forward to playing with Kennedy’s familiar face and more traditional tactics as the youngsters chased.

“I played with Brad last Saturday (in the Queensland PGA Championship) and we’ve played a lot in Japan since I’ve been up there,” Bransdon said.

“The young guys they’ll do what they do … hit it 400 (metres), go wedge it and have a few putts, and we’ll play a different game our way,” he said with a broad smile.

Bransdon said stiffer afternoon breezes made scoring more difficult than his early opening-day barrage.

“It got tricky on the back nine … it was crosswinds and hard to pick,” he said.

“I hit a couple of ordinary golf shots, but overall it was still nice.”

Incredibly, 12 amateurs made the cut which was made at +1 to find the top 50 professionals and ties.

A host of big names missed the weekend action including Deyen Lawson, Ash Hall, Scott Arnold, Aaron Townsend and defending champion Jordan Zunic.

Local amateur Sarah Wilson, just the second woman to play in the Queensland Open, made a run with two late birdies, but came up one short at +2 despite a fine second-round 72.

The first group will tee off at 9:05am AEST while the leading group of Bransdon, Kennedy and Armstrong will take to the first tee at 10:45am.

For the full #QldOpen leaderboard and tee times visit pga.org.au.

The best bits from Friday at the 2020 @IsuzuAustralia #QldOpen ??️‍♂️

David Bransdon owns a one-shot halfway lead at @pelicangolfclub after another cracking day on the Sunny Coast! ☀️? pic.twitter.com/0RcHm1WWo9
— Golf Australia QLD (@GolfAustQLD) February 21, 2020

Brad Kennedy is ready to take the fight for the Isuzu Queensland Open all the way to Sunday after taking the tournament lead at the halfway point of round two.

Despite a slow start to the morning in steamy Sunshine Coast conditions, Kennedy went on to card two bogeys and six birdies for a score of 4-under.

Together with an opening round of 65 the Queenslander eclipsed David Bransdon’s overnight lead to sit atop the leaderboard at 11-under the card.

“It was a bit of a flat start to be honest. I gave myself some opportunities, hit some fairways but didn’t quite get my wedges close enough which was a little bit frustrating,” Kennedy said.

“I made a soft bogey on 15 which probably was the bogey I had to have and that got me motivated. I then birdied five of the next six holes so something like that tends to spark you to get you into another gear.

“It was getting brutal out there heat wise. It was a big week last week and backed up from a late day yesterday so I was running on empty coming in but I managed to birdie the eighth hole and all in all I don’t think I’ll be ending by the end of the day but I’ll be somewhere there abouts.”

Novocastrian Jake Higginbottom proved scores were there for the taking at Pelican Waters Golf Club with an incredible comeback round of 63 to equal the course record set by Bransdon on Thursday.

After an opening round of 73 the 26-year-old holed an impressive eight birdies and an eagle at the par-3 16^th to sit tied for third at 8-under the card.

A lone bogey on his last hole of the day, the ninth, was the only blemish.

“I played a lot better today. I actually played nice yesterday, I just putted very poorly so I got a few to go in today and had a nice chip in for eagle that got the round going,” said Higginbottom.

“It’s nice to be up there in contention. We’ll see how the guys go this afternoon and see how far behind I am and I guess just go out and do the same as I did today, tomorrow.”

Energy-sapping conditions continue to make play difficult for the 132-player field that will be cut to the top 50 players plus ties and amateurs at the end of today’s play.

Mindset will be key for all when the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament enters the weekend stage but for Kennedy more than most.

“To be honest I know what I have to do, whether I do it or not that’s a different story. I’ve got a situation where I’ve been in it before and able to learn from it so let’s see if I can do it this time,” he said.

“Mindset wise I just had to try and keep doing what I was doing from yesterday. The course gives you some really good opportunities but to be where I am and to look back at what I did there’s certainly room for improvement but I’ve got to get better to stay where I am.”

Victorian Richard Green used his experience to his advantage around the water-lined layout to finish the morning tied for third alongside Higginbottom with five birdies and an 8-under total.

“It was pretty solid day really. I felt like I left a couple of putts out there so I could have been a couple of shots better even but all in all it was pretty good,” Green said.

“They’re conditions that I’m not really used to in the heat like this but I enjoy it. I’m really enjoying the course, the golf course is fantastic and is one of the best I’ve seen for a while layout wise and scoring and opportunity wise.”

Round one frontrunners David Bransdon, Josh Armstrong and Jack Thompson are on course now.

For the live Isuzu Queensland Open leaderboard visit pga.org.au.

Victorian David Bransdon has set the benchmark for the Isuzu Queensland Open with a record-setting round of 9-under 63 in round one at Pelican Waters Golf Club.

The 2015 Isuzu Queensland Open champion fired out of the tees with six birdies on the back-nine, including four straight from holes 13 to 16, followed by a further three on the front-nine to sit two shots clear of South Australian amateur Jack Thompson.

With the flat stick striking hot Bransdon made the most of calm morning conditions on the Sunshine Coast to set the new course record.

“I holed a couple of nice putts early and I hit a couple close and basically the putter was pretty good all day. Then I started hitting a few close ones and holed them as well,” Bransdon said.

“There aren’t a lot of drivers out here for me this week. I’m hitting a lot of hybrids and fairway woods just to keep it in play because it’s more strategic for me.

“They’re fairly wide the fairways but you need to be in the right part of the fairway to be able to attack the green. For my game, hybrids and 3-woods and then my iron play is normally very solid.”

Bransdon’s leading scorecard was not the only thing to highlight the round for Bransdon’s playing group of ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia veterans Jason Norris and Terry Pilkadaris.

Norris made an ace on the 159 meter par-3 6^th hole with an 8-iron before closing out his round at even-par.

? Ace alert ?

Jason Norris with a hole-in-one on the par-3 6th hole at Pelican Waters with an 8-iron ?

And an ultimate photobomb by Terry Pilkadaris ? pic.twitter.com/XOqJIanxuK
— Golf Australia QLD (@GolfAustQLD) February 20, 2020

“I witnessed a hole-in-one with Norrey on the 6^th so that was pretty cool. The scorer behind the green didn’t see it but we all thought it was funny,” he said.

“We were certainly relaxed. We’ve known each other for a long time so there was a bit of banter here and there.”

Superstitions arose for the 46-year-old prior to the tournament when posing for a photo with fellow Queensland Open winners Michael Sim, Jordan Zunic and Nick Cullen.

Bransdon citied bad luck for his reluctance to touch the T.B. Hunter Cup but it appears to have done little to slow him down.

“I don’t like normally doing that because I’m old and I think it is back luck touching it before you play for it but I’ve touched it before so it’s not a bad thing so maybe it’s a good sign this week,” he said.

“I didn’t expect this. I thought 9 to 13-under was going to win the tournament, I didn’t think 9 was out there in one day.”

Victorian David Bransdon has set the benchmark early in round one of the Isuzu Queensland Open with a record-setting round of 9-under 63 at Pelican Waters Golf Club.

With the flat stick striking hot Bransdon made the most of calm morning conditions on the Sunshine Coast.