Trainee Professionals from around the world hit the fairways at Ballarat Golf Club yesterday for the first round of the 2015National Futures Championship.

Victorian Ryan Laird and Western Australian Brody Martin fired 3-under-par 69 and will head into the second round with a share of the lead. 

The pair dealt well with the more difficult conditions that faced the afternoon field which saw the wind and humidity rise.

Laird, who hails from the Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club, carded five birdies and two bogeys while Martin from Marangaroo Golf Course completed his round with six birdies and three bogeys on the card.

International players, Englishman Jack Harrison, South African Johan Smit and New Zealander Jonathan Ratcliffe represented their countries with rounds of 70, 72 and 73 respectively.
 
New South Wales first year Trainee Aliza Huff finished best of the Female competitors on 1-under-par 71 and will hope to hold her good form and feature strongly over the coming days.
 
With cold and possibly wet conditions forecast for the remainder of the week Trainees will have to dig deep to position themselves at the top of the leaderboard.