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Western Australian Rick Kulacz has held his nerve when it mattered most to claim the South Coast Open at Moruya Golf Club.
On an afternoon when it seemed the winner could come from anywhere, it was Kulacz who fared best, coming home with a withering eagle-birdie-par finish for a 5-under 66 and a two-round total of 8-under to claim a two-shot victory.
However, for much of the day, it seemed the tournament was overnight leader Martin Dive’s for the taking. Starting the day with a two-shot lead, the Ryde Parramatta’s bomber looked to be comfortably cruising to victory.
Although the challengers were queueing up behind, birdies on the first and eighth saw Dive stretch his lead to three by the turn.
Despite a bogey on the 12th, trouble was lurking, and when Dive rinsed his tee shot on the dogleg 15th, flew the green with his third, then speared the resulting chip almost off the front of the green, Moruya had well and truly bitten back.
Dive had no comeback with holes running out, and with a southerly buster smashing the course late, a final-hole birdie was just about all he could do to remain in the top three.
Anthony Choat, Dive’s playing partner in the final group, who for much of the day looked like the man most likely, had a back nine to forget, dropping out of contention.
Daniel Gale backed his opening 68 up with a second 3-under effort to finish second, while Aaron Wilkin, Michael Wright, Deyen Lawson, Daniel Fox Matthew Millar and Dive finished tied for third at 5-under.
It was Kulacz, however, who was the man of the moment and clearly relieved in the end to take the win.
“It was good in the end. I finished well and everyone seemed to go backwards late,” said Kulacz.
The West Australian admitted playing several groups in front of the leaders helped his focus enormously and said maintaining it through the final few holes had paid off handsomely.
“To be honest, and its a bit of a cliche, I was just trying to hit good shots on every hole.”
“I didn’t do it all day, but I did it late. I rolled in a couple, and that took the heat off me.”
“I was kind of stressing about 16 down the hill, but I drove it really well and hit a two-iron to the middle fo the green and holed it for eagle.”
Energized by his finish, Kulacz admitted he felt confident of the victory walking off the final green at 8-under.
“I thought eight (under) would be close when I finished.”
Compared to the previous three regional open events where the two round scores had been in the double digits, Kulacz said the testing Moruya layout had played far more challenging than many of the players had expected.
“There was a little bit more breeze, the pins were tucked, and the greens definitely were a bit firmer.
“It’s harder to get it close here, and it’s hard to make birdies; very easy to make mistakes.
“It’s my type of golf, I like it like this more, unlike courses where you have to try and birdie every hole.”
Kulacz, already a NSW Open Champion, will be back at Concord this year courtesy of his place last week at Queanbeyan.
“It was a long time ago,” he smiled when asked about his Open Championship win. “But I still remember.
“It was a good few weeks for me, good memories, hopefully I’ll play well this year as well.”
View the final South Coast Open results at pga.org.au.
Elvis Smylie has been earmarked as a professional golfer in the making for years.
Today, in time for next week’s TPS in Sydney, the brilliant young Queenslander can finally give a definitive answer to a question he has been asked countless times.
“My goal has always been to be the best golfer in the world,” Smylie said today.
“I couldn’t be more excited to take the next step on that journey and join the professional ranks.
“Now is absolutely the right time for me to make this jump – my game is in a great place and I’m full of confidence.
“I’ve had some amazing opportunities to take part in a number of pro events and I feel like I’ve proven to myself that I’m ready to play at that level.”
Those who have watched the sweet-swinging left-hander could only concur.
Still 18, he has twice won the storied Keperra Bowl, including his personal-best 62 to win this summer by a record 13 strokes.
He dominated on his home turf at Southport to win the Australian Junior crown in 2019 and was second in the Aaron Baddeley International in the United States as a 16-year-old.
But it’s in the pro ranks where Smylie has shown promise and – more importantly poise – that have many seasoned onlookers wide-eyed.
He was 33rd in the Australian Open against a host of Presidents Cup players in 2019, 24th in the 2020 Queensland Open, but critically showed his development when second to red-hot Brad Kennedy in the recent TPS event at Rosebud against the cream of the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.
Golf Australia high performance manager Queensland Tony Meyer said Smylie was ready to take the next step.
“Elvis has shown repeatedly that he produces his best golf when it matters most,” Meyer said.
“His ongoing rise through the ranks is testament to his consistent hard work and dedication to the game, which was evident even when I first met him as a 13-year-old.”
For his part, Smylie is just raring to go for the next phase of his life.
“I’ve been so fortunate to have been surrounded by and supported by some amazing people. Obviously my coach Ian Triggs, who has coached me since I was just eight years old. There’s no one better to help guide me, and he’s absolutely instrumental in all of my success to date,” Smylie said.
“Then there’s my parents. Not only have they sacrificed so much to make my dream a reality, but with their backgrounds in professional sports, they’ve taught me what it takes to perform at the highest level. They’ve enabled me to be around some of the best athletes in the world and I’ve learnt from all of them.
“I’d like to thank Golf Queensland, Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia for all of their support. I’ve been a part of the QAS for many years and it’s created an amazing platform for me to grow.
“I’ve loved being a member at Southport Golf Club. It’s been an ideal base for me throughout my amateur career. I’ve been fortunate to play junior pennant and pennant there for many years and have a great relationship with so many of the members. It will always be my second home.
“Finally, I’d like to thank Titleist and, in particular, Matt Dowling. They’ve been an amazing partner over the past few years and I’m looking forward to starting my professional career with the same clubs that have gotten me this far.
“I’m sure there are many I’m forgetting here as so many people have contributed to me getting to this point, but I promise I’ll thank you all in person when I can!”
Deyen Lawson has scored an emphatic win at the $50,000 Queanbeyan Open, running away with the title by four shots.
Lawson added a 6-under 64 to his opening course record of 61 for a two-round total of 15-under 125.
In second place was the fast-finishing Daniel Gale, at 11-under, while Grace Kim, playing a modified course, finished in third at 10-under.
Lawson was thrilled with his winning performance, which came at the end of a rather long day. A two-hour weather delay meant the leading group didn’t hit the course until just after 3 pm.
“I’m very, very happy,” Lawson said post-round. ” I played really good yesterday and hit it pretty solid today.”
Lawson, who began the day with a two-shot lead, admitted he got off to a bit of a slow start, but as he neared the turn for home, his game picked up a gear.
“I didn’t get want I wanted out of the round early, but on the 8th, I made a good birdie. I hit it to about 10 ft and rolled it in.
“I got some momentum then.”
And the momentum it was. More birdies followed for Lawson as he rolled through the back nine, and by the 16th, he was three in front.
“I saw the leaderboard on the 10th, and Jordan Mullaney had got to 10 or 11-under.
“I hit a good wedge to a foot on 11. I looked again after the 14th, and Daniel Gale had finished well, and 11 under was the total.
“On 16 I wanted to keep pushing, because the scores those guys have been shooting in the last month or so, well, you know anyone can come out and have a low one.”
And push Lawson did. A solid three metal led setup eagle on 16, and from there, with a big lead, the title was all but his.
“I was happy in the end to play solid coming home.”
Happy too was the walk up the last with a four-shot lead knowing he had secured the title.
“It is a comfortable feeling walking up the last with that lead. It doesn’t happen very often, but when you do, it’s easy.
“It’s not done until it’s done, and I wanted to make birdie on the last. I hit two good shots and gave it a good roll.
“I was happy in the end.”
With Lawson already exempt for this year’s NSW Open, the three qualifying positions went to south Australian Adam Bland, 2006 NSW Open Champion Rick Kulacz, and Murwillumbah amateur Lucas Higgins.
It says everything about their growing status in the game that Steph Kyriacou and Sarah Wilson are more expectant than nervous before the Isuzu Queensland Open.
The rising stars, the first women confirmed into the 11-14 March championship at Pelican Waters on the Sunshine Coast, have both taken huge steps in their golfing careers in the past year.
And while neither has any expectation of mixing it in the distance stakes with the men, the calm confidence they each exude speaks volumes of their mindset.
Sydneysider Kyriacou, who won the Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville in February last year as an amateur, took the professional plunge soon afterwards and had a sensational year on the Ladies European Tour to win rookie of the year honours despite only playing a limited schedule.
“A lot has changed. I’ve learnt a lot and I think that I know my game a lot better than I used to,” Kyriacou said.
“It’s a great opportunity to play against the men and I’m just going to have to figure out ways of scoring as I get closer to the green because obviously we can’t drive it like they do.
“But I’m really keen to compare myself against some of the boys that I know and do my best to be competitive all week.”
Sunshine Coast-based Wilson, still an amateur, qualified to play the Isuzu Queensland Open last year on her own merit and missed the halfway cut by just one stroke after rounds of 74-72.
This time around, having won the SA Stroke Play crown during the year, she returns knowing playing her own game is critical.
“I learnt from last year that you can’t really put too much focus on the men playing around you. They obviously have strength as an advantage off the tee, but I now know to just work on what I’m doing and see where I end up each day,” Wilson said.
“It’s a huge opportunity, not just be a woman in the field, but to gain tournament experience in such an important event.”
Therese Magdulski, GA’s general manager of events and operations said: “We are really excited to see more women contesting the event this year.
“With a huge priority for Golf Australia being to increase opportunities for women and girls, this is a taster for our plans for a women’s Queensland Open into the future.”
Already this week, defending champion Anthony Quayle and fellow Queenslander and European Tour player Jake McLeod have confirmed as starters on the Sunshine Coast.
The Isuzu Queensland Open is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
The 2021 Isuzu Queensland Open will be held at Pelican Waters Golf Club from 11-14 March. It is a key part of the 2020-21 ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia calendar and the second last event on its Order of Merit this season.
Visit the website for more information.
His best ball-striking display in four years has Queenslander Cameron Smith excited about the build-up to The Masters after recording a top-five finish at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
Runner-up at Augusta National in November, Smith was making his first appearance since the Farmers Insurance Open three weeks ago and two weeks spent working on his swing technique paid dividends as he used a final round of 4-under 67 to move into outright fourth position and prizemoney in excess of $US450,000.
“Just took a couple weeks off and knuckled down. Actually did some work on my swing and it paid off this week,” said Smith.
“I thought I struck it probably the best I’ve struck it in a very long time, three, four years probably. It’s nice to get back in that groove.”
Ahead of this week’s World Golf Championships event in Florida moving into The PLAYERS and then The Masters, Smith believes that if he can stay on top of his swing tendencies he can take confidence into every event.
“I get this little move at the top of my swing that gets me all unbalanced,” Smith explained.
“Just spent a couple weeks on that so I’ve just got to keep my eye on it and do some really good preparation around the golf course.”
Defending champion Adam Scott bounced back from a disappointing 76 in Round 3 with a Sunday 66 to move inside the top 40 while Matt Jones rounded out a strong week with a 1-under 70 to join Smith inside the top 10.
There were no Aussies inside the top 10 at the resumption of the Korn Ferry Tour with Victorian Brett Coletta the best in a tie for 11th.
An opening round of 63 had Coletta tied at the top of the leaderboard but it was a pace he was unable to maintain, weekend rounds of 73-70 resulting in a finish just outside the top 10.
Kiwi Steven Alker was also tied for 11th with Aussie pair Brett Drewitt and Mark Hensby in a tie for 47th alongside New Zealand’s Nick Voke.
PGA TOUR
Genesis Invitational
Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California
4 Cameron Smith 69-68-71-67—275 $US455,700
T8 Matt Jones 67-72-69-70—278 $262,725
T32 Marc Leishman 69-73-73-68—283 $51,925
T38 Adam Scott 69-73-76-66—284 $40,455
T43 Cameron Davis 71-69-77-68—285 $28,179
T52 Danny Lee 72-70-72-72—286 $22,153
Korn Ferry Tour
LECOM Suncoast Classic
Lakewood National GC (Commander CSe), Lakewood Ranch, Florida
T11 Brett Coletta 63-69-73-70—275 $US13,230
T11 Steven Alker 69-68-67-71—275 $13,230
T47 Mark Hensby 65-72-74-71—282 $2,604
T47 Brett Drewitt 67-72-72-71—282 $2,604
T47 Nick Voke 69-69-72-72—282 $2,604
T55 Curtis Luck 69-70-69-75—283 $2,496
MC Ryan Ruffels 69-73—142
MC Jamie Arnold 73-72—145
Rip driver and go for the green? Fly the cross-bunkers that split the fairway and squeeze a 3-wood towards the front-left edge of the putting surface? Or lay right back with a mid-iron and trust your wedge game to make birdie?
That’s the conundrum facing Adam Scott on Friday morning AEDT as he begins his Genesis Invitational title defence at one of American golf’s most revered par 4s, the 288-metre 10th at Riviera Country Club.
Once described by fellow PGA TOUR player and course architecture buff Zac Blair as a “diabolical drive-and-pitch hole”, the George Thomas classic plays from an elevated tee and turns right towards a green that could double as a snooker table both in size and elevation.
Although it plays in the opposite direction and downhill as opposed to up, Riviera’s 10th shares some design principles with the 10th hole of Royal Melbourne’s famed West Course, it too considered one of the world’s great short par 4s for its examination of intestinal fortitude.
Rewards are tantalisingly within reach; a bitten hand a terrifying possibility.
A two-time winner at Riviera with runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2016, Scott will chase consecutive titles alongside world No.1 Dustin Johnson and three-time Riviera champion Bubba Watson starting with a decision that every player must face.
“Generally, the strategy there now is to move it down as far as you can to the front left of the green,” Scott said of his methodology.
“Obviously hitting a 3-wood or driver, it’s hard to control exactly where it’s going to finish but I think that’s generally the best play.
“The green is so narrow and this week it’s so firm, I certainly don’t want to leave myself a 90-yard pitch.
“There’s probably very little chance of hitting the green actually, so then you get into that bunker situation.
“You’ve just got to get it down there, roll the dice a little bit. If you hit a hell of a shot and it ends up on the green, then that’s great. Otherwise, just start working at scrambling from around the green. Sometimes you have to chip it to 30 feet, that’s the best you can do.
“It could only be conditions or wind or something that would change that strategy for me.”
Scott’s win 12 months ago was his first start of the year and immediately raised the prospect of contending for a second Masters crown at Augusta National in April.
The COVID-19 pandemic stripped Scott of that momentum but he believes that playing well at Riviera this week can set him up once again to add to his tally of 14 PGA TOUR victories.
“One thing with this golf course here is I feel like I’m playing at home,” Scott explained.
“I didn’t grow up necessarily on poa (greens) but just being out there, the landscape, everything, it feels very much… even the smells feel like I’m playing as a kid back at home.
“I feel like if you’ve had a good week here, it’s a good measure certainly generally of where your game is at.
“There would be an exception if you didn’t hit it well around here and you had a good week, but it can happen.
“It’s such a demanding course into the greens here that if you played well here, you’re pretty much ready for any event.
“To win on quality golf courses is just a little something extra and I consider Memorial or Muirfield Village and here to do that.
“It was very satisfying for me to win here.”
A week after countryman Jason Day signalled his intention to play until his 50th birthday, Scott outlined some of his own career goals now that he sits on the other side of 40.
Swinging it as sweetly as ever and with a body devoid of many of the ailments that can affect golfers in their later years, Scott’s quest to reach 20 PGA TOUR wins and equal Greg Norman remains very much attainable.
“I think over the next five years I can win another 10 plus tournaments as long as I’m still physically in good shape,” said Scott, who has finished inside the top-20 in nine of 12 appearances at Riviera.
“I’d like to push on hard and I’d really like to see myself get on a bit of a roll at some point in the next couple years and rack up some wins.
“I’ve watched a lot of guys do it over the past or five or six years, like Brooks (Koepka) or Dustin (Johnson), who consistently wins, but thinking back to Jason Day, he won nine times in 18 months maybe.
“I’m looking to try to work my game into that kind of form.
“I see all the areas at times good enough, I just have to put it all together.”
It’s been a record-setting affair for Josh Armstrong and Doey Choi in the opening round of the Murray Region Open.
In a unique effort, the boyfriend/girlfriend combo from Concord have carded matching men’s and women’s course records this afternoon at Corowa Golf Club.
Playing a group apart, Josh did the amazing, peeling off six straight birdies to finish his round at 10-under – tying the course record set earlier in the day by Queensland’s Charlie Dann.
“I saw her on 13, and she asked me how I was going. She was 3-under and I was four, so I thought, ‘hang on! better get my butt into gear here’.”
“I got ribbed after she beat me at Coffs Harbour, so I couldn’t let it happen again.”
Armstrong promptly found his zone, reeling off six straight birdies to put any thoughts of defeat by his better half firmly to rest.
“They werent all tap-ins either, I had to hole a ten-foter on the last,” he grinned.
Choi, Making her debut as a professional was just as thrilled with the record, however, acted a little less impressed knowing she was second-fiddle in the scoring stakes to her boyfriend, Josh.
“It’s not a nice one,” Choi laughed mischievously when asked the records post-round.
“I thought I was going to beat him today because I’ve been playing really well.
“But, obviously, I’m really happy for him.”
Record aside, Choi said her opening round as a professional was, on the whole, satisfying. Despite a shocker of a start, four putting the first – Choi bounced back quickly and as her course record attests, soon found her groove.
“I don’t think I was nervous, maybe I was. It was just embarrassing, like OK, it was my first hole, and I fall apart.”
“I played pretty good, but left a few out there. I missed a three footer on one hole for birdie and kind of had to say to myself, you can’t miss these anyomore, they mean something.”
With the course records in the books, the pair are looking forward to a late start in tomorrow’s final round.
“I’ll probably be playing with Charlie,” Armstrong said. ” He’s a good guy and we played a bit in amateurs together.”
For Choi, tomorrow will be all about repeating today’s good thoughts.
“Hopefully I can have another good day, I’m feeling pretty good, so yeah looking forward to it. A nice paycheck will be nice,” she smiled.
Kiwi Michael Hendry and Sydney’s Justin Warren have joined overnight leader John Lyras at the top of the Moonah Links PGA Classic leaderboard after making a charge during the third round on Thursday morning.
Players had just a half-hour break before heading back out onto the Moonah Links Open Course for the final round on Thursday afternoon as ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia officials seek to finish the tournament ahead of any potential border closures.
A strengthening wind that threatens to make the final round a battle for survival kept the scoring in the third round in check but it couldn’t stop Hendry – the 2017 NZ Open champion – from making significant headway up the leaderboard.
Starting the third round four shots adrift of Lyras, Hendry made an early move to apply some intense scoreboard pressure.
A birdie at the 339-metre opening hole was followed by an eagle three at the par-5 second to bring the 41-year-old to within a shot of the lead.
A dropped shot at the par-4 third was countered by a birdie at the par-5 fourth and he picked up another shot at the par-5 eighth to make the turn at 11-under and within a shot of Lyras.
A birdie at the 202m par-3 12th was offset immediately with a bogey at the next but consecutive birdies to close out his round of 6-under 66 delivered the best round of the morning and a position at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final round.
With 36 holes to be completed today players will remain in the same groups that they played this morning, Hendry in the unique position of playing in the fifth-to-last group alongside Bryden Macpherson and with the opportunity to post a score for the following pack to chase.
Like Hendry, Warren’s round gathered momentum late, making the turn in 2-under before picking up three birdies in his final five holes in a round of 5-under 67 that also lifted him to 13-under.
Starting the third round with a three-shot buffer, Lyras looked like extending the margin when he picked up shots at both the second and third holes but played the final 15 holes in even par to post 2-under 70 and stay on track to complete a wire-to-wire win.
In his second start since leaving quarantine Wollongong’s Travis Smyth is the closest challenger to the three leaders sitting two shots back, making three birdies in his final four holes and picking up another on the first hole of his final round to draw within one.
Bryden Macpherson continued his excellent run of form with a 4-under 68 to move to 10-under while proven performers Dimi Papadatos and Andrew Dodt have both picked up two shots early in Round 4 to reach 11-under and be just two shots off the lead.
Follow live scores from the Moonah Links PGA Classic at pga.org.au.
The guiding hand of his father and a PGA TOUR reality check has positioned Sydney’s John Lyras to push for a breakthrough Professional win when the Moonah Links PGA Classic concludes at Moonah Links on Thursday.
The possibility of border closures has prompted ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia officials to play the final two rounds on Thursday with groups of two to play in a cart, the third round to commence at 7.15am and the final round at 11.45am AEDT.
It means Lyras will only have to sleep on the lead for one more night after following up his 6-under 66 in the first round with a composed and patient 5-under 67 on Wednesday to be 11-under at the halfway mark.
The 24-year-old is three shots clear of a group of five players at 8-under, Justin Warren (69), James Marchesani (67), Maverick Antcliff (69), Peter Wilson (65) and Ryan McCarthy (67) all in position to make a charge over the final 36 holes.
Wilson’s 7-under 65 made the greatest impression on the leaderboard late on Wednesday but the round of the day belonged to NT PGA champion Aaron Pike, the Queenslander firing off four birdies in succession from the second hole and closing with an eagle to bounce back from a 76 on day one with an 8-under 64 to be tied for 25th.
A birdie on his opening hole settled whatever nerves Lyras may have felt being in the unfamiliar position of tournament front-runner and from that point he set about picking off opportunities as they presented themselves.
“Just had to stay really patient and let the golf course come to me and let the scoring opportunities come when they did,” said Lyras, who only two weeks ago made his first cut as a professional at The Players Series Victoria.
“I feel like if I can play the par 5s well and birdie three or four of them and maybe hit a couple in tight and then you roll in a bomb, there’s seven birdies in a round of golf.
“As long as you can keep the bad stuff off the card, generally you can put a pretty good score together and around Moonah Links I think that works quite well.”
When he qualified to play in the 2019 Wyndham Championship on the PGA TOUR Lyras made the snap decision to turn professional and was issued a stark reminder of what it would take to one day be successful.
“I was hitting balls between Jordan Spieth and Sungjae Im before Round 2,” Lyras recalled.
“It was amazing to me how perfectly Jordan strikes his wedges and how perfectly struck the ball-flight and trajectory was with Sungjae and his driver. It just showed to me that I still had work to do, that I still have a long way to go before I can reach that level.”
In addition to his swing coach John Serhan and mental performance coach John Novak, Lyras believes it is the patient approach of his father Peter that has given him the foundation to handle whatever the game throws at him.
“We have a lot of really great conversations about our golf,” said Lyras. “I’ve got a really great team around me but at the end of the day Dad’s probably the most important of all.
“The things he’s taught me are finally rubbing off a bit. Hopefully I can do him proud over the next two days.”
A 20-year veteran on tour, Wilson came within one of his career low round of 64 in moving into a tie for second, bouncing back from a bogey on his opening hole with six birdies and an eagle at the par-5 15th.
“I didn’t putt very well in the first round and today I was actually hitting them where I wanted to,” Wilson explained.
“These greens are very similar to my home club at Cranbourne so I can read the greens here quite well. The first round I wasn’t hitting it on my lines but today I hit them on my line.
“Because we haven’t been playing for a year I had a lot of anxiety problems at the first event and then last week at the Vic PGA I was coming top five after the first round and then had one bad hole and missed the cut by one.
“It’s taken me a few tournaments to get through it but I felt normal again out here today.”
Top-20 at both The Players Series Victoria and the Vic PGA, Victorian James Marchesani is once again in position to contend and believes three weeks of tournament golf have sharpened his game to the point where he can push forward for a win.
“As the weeks have gone on and we’ve built into more rounds I’ve felt the game getting a bit sharper as each round went on,” said Marchesani, who bolstered his chances by making two birdies and an eagle in his final four holes on Wednesday.
“That gets the rust thing off. Not having played any competitive golf in close to 11 months, it was bound to happen. Just keeping on top of it and trying to stay patient with it.
“I’m in a good position now and the game feels reasonably sharp. There are still a few things I’d like to clean up but in a good position going forward.”
Round three of the #MoonahPGAClassic will begin at 7:15am with leader John Lyras to begin his round at 8:50am.
Visit pga.org.au for the round three draw.
Visit pga.org.au for the round two leaderboard.
Buoyed by his first made cut as a professional a fortnight ago New South Welshman John Lyras has recorded a bogey-free 6-under 66 to take a one-shot lead at the Moonah Classic being played on the Open Course at Moonah Links.
Less than 48 hours since the conclusion of the Victorian PGA Championship on the same golf course, players were back out early on Tuesday in wind conditions that strengthened as the morning went on and will make things challenging for the afternoon groups.
Based at St Michael’s Golf Club in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Lyras navigated his way around the Peter Thomson design better than anyone, opening with a birdie at the par-4 first and playing both nines in 3-under 33 and bogey free to be one shot ahead of Maverick Antcliff and Kiwi pair Michael Hendry and Daniel Hillier.
With the unique honour of making his professional debut on the PGA TOUR after qualifying for the Wyndham Championship in 2019, Lyras gained his ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia card at qualifying school at Moonah Links last January and called on those memories to sit atop the leaderboard midway through round one.
“I really enjoy playing this golf course,” said Lyras, who missed the cut at last week’s Vic PGA.
“It’s kind of similar to St Michaels off the tee in the fact that you can shape it each way that you want.
“It’s just enjoyable to come back to a place with a few good memories. I had to birdie the last to avoid a playoff last year at Q School so that was a nice feeling.
“The golf course is always in good shape and just visually it’s quite well framed off the tee. It’s always pure too so it’s a joy to play.”
The 24-year-old has played little since missing the cut at the final stage of Asian Tour Qualifying School last February but used the momentum of a joint win at the Merewether Pro-Am in January to record his best result in a tour event at The Players Series Victoria two weeks ago.
“That was the first cut I made as a professional so any time that’s the case that’s quite a good moment,” said Lyras.
“I’ve felt like the game’s been pretty solid. There are a few holes in the short iron play at the moment but that came around a bit more for me today nicely.
“At the end of the day it’s just trying to keep your head real positive and calm the whole way around.
“I had a few little wrist problems that I had to sort out last year so I took four months off the game doing rehab and that proved to be quite good for me.
“Physically I just wasn’t in good enough shape to play and practice so it was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me.”
A brilliant start from @johnlyras96 with a round of 6-under to take the clubhouse lead at the Moonah Links PGA Classic 👏
— #MoonahClassic (@PGAofAustralia) February 9, 2021
Hear more about his opening round here 🗣 🎥#MoonahClassic #PGATA #PGAProud pic.twitter.com/Y7t038fL0F
Antcliff used the day off between tournaments to rest up and get fitted for a new driver, the set-up of his Titleist TSi3 driver delivering four birdies and an eagle in his opening six holes starting from the 10th tee.
“It was nice to get off to a quick start, I haven’t done that in a while,” said Antcliff after posting 5-under 67, making nine pars across the Open Course front nine to finish his round.
“Got it going early and then the wind picked up a little on the back. I hit some OK shots but didn’t really get much going and then made a couple of solid pars when the wind really picked up. It should be quite challenging in the afternoon.”
Having played in consecutive events in Cyprus on the European Tour late last year Antcliff is one of few players in the field to have experienced playing the same golf course two weeks in a row and admits it will become more challenging as the week goes on.
“I played the same course in Cyprus two weeks in a row at the end of last year but it was Thursday-Sunday, Thursday-Sunday,” Antcliff explained.
“You spent three days sitting around twiddling your thumbs because you’d already seen the golf course so much.
“Playing two days on the Legends, two on the Open and then a day off, it actually felt like a day off because of weather. It feels like a day was cancelled and then you’re back out there.
“I’m sure it will feel weird on Wednesday and Thursday and feel like an awfully long week.”
Players among the afternoon groups making an early impression include Anthony Quayle (2-under through eight) and Deyen Lawson (2-under through 5) with 11 players 1-under the card early in their rounds.
