Tim Hart has taken an overnight lead at the Traralgon Latrobe City WIN Network Pro-Am being played at Traralgon Golf Club with one round left to play.
Tim Hart has taken an overnight lead at the Traralgon Latrobe City WIN Network Pro-Am being played at Traralgon Golf Club with one round left to play.
The strongest field ever assembled for the annual event with leading professionals Matthew Millar, David Bransdon, Simon Hawkes and Marcus Fraser joined by ex-AFL star and Traralgon native Brendon Goddard, who is playing as an elite amateur.
Hot and humid conditions persisted throughout the morning, while young Professionals Adam Burdett and Jack Murdoch took advantage of the still conditions to record 6-under and 5-under respectively.
However, big hitting Queensland player Tim Hart was the man to beat, setting the course alight after starting with a birdie on the 17th hole.
Additional birdies on the 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 8th holes as well as an eagle on the 5th took him to the turn at 7-under, one shot clear of Burdett.
An eagle on the 16th closed out his opening round at 9-under 63, equalling the Traralgon Golf Club course record.
Humid and still conditions were replaced by a hot north wind and high temperatures for the afternoon field, where 2018 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year Matthew Millar set about chasing down Hart.
Millar opened his round on the 2nd hole and proceeded to shoot five birdies in a row in his first time playing the Traralgon Golf Club course.
Millar birdied the tough par-3 15th and then the short par-4 18th to get his round to 7-under, just two shots behind Hart.
Playing as an elite amateur, Brendon Goddard’s day was a roller coaster. Looking every bit the professional golfer at 2-under through three holes, it came crashing to a halt when he handed the shots back on the 5th, 8th and 9th to make the turn at 2-over par.
Goddard finished at 7-over for the day in a tie for 74th place.
Players return to the course on Thursday afternoon for the final round of the Traralgon Latrobe City WIN Network Pro-Am.