Playing the Remarkables Course, Queenslander Lawry Flynn looked to set the mark of the morning wave when he reached eight-under through 17 holes only to make triple bogey on his final hole for a round of 66.

Power Horan posted six-under 65 on the Coronet Course as Alker, fellow Kiwi Kit Bittle, Japan’s Yosuke Asaji and Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul made their 65s on the Remarkables Course.

Only four of the top 20 early scores came on the Coronet Course, Power Horan adamant that the morning conditions could not have been more conducive to scoring.

“The course was great, it couldn’t have been much easier to be honest,” said Power Horan.

“You’re not going to get better conditions. It’s not easy but you couldn’t get better conditions.”

Currently fourth on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, Power Horan recently secured his 2023 Asian Tour card.

With the co-sanctioning of this week’s tournament, a good result this week carries additional significance and there is a sense of expectation in the air.

“When I got my card on the Asian Tour, I knew it was going to be a big week,” the Gippsland Super 6 champion explained.

“When you play a million-dollar event, with all the points, it just feels a little different. There’s just a bit more going on. There’s more crowds, there’s more off-course stuff.

“Maybe it’s self-imposed as well. You know it’s a big week that can really set up a lot of things compared to a normal, smaller event.”

Starting his tournament from the 11th tee on the Coronet Course, Power Horan dropped a 40-footer for birdie on his opening hole and then two-putted from the fringe of the short par-4 13th.

He added a third birdie on the par-5 18th before turning to the front nine where the birdies kept coming.

He chipped in after missing the green at the par-3 second and then hit 6-iron into 15 feet at the par-3 sixth. A birdie at eight was offset by a bogey on nine before closing out his round with a birdie at the par-4 10th.

One of the week’s major drawcards, Alker didn’t disappoint in his return to competitive play in his home country.

The reigning player of the year on the PGA TOUR Champions, Alker had seven birdies in his round of 65, his lone dropped shot coming via a three-putt on the par-4 15th.

The 51-year-old sent a warning shot to the youngsters in the field with birdies at each of his opening two holes, slightly disappointed to not have made more of the perfect scoring conditions.

“I felt like I left a little bit out there because there wasn’t much wind out there today so little bit disappointing but overall the score was good,” said Alker, who came within a whisker of holing out for eagle on his final hole, the par-4 ninth.

“I kept my nose clean for most of the day. There was a three-putt in there but apart from that it was pretty good.

“I was trying to push for a couple more if I could but you’ve just got to keep pushing all week, especially if there’s no wind.”

A three-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, the highlight of Asaji’s round was an eagle at the par-4 16th on the Remarkables Course while Charoenkul, runner-up at the recent International Series Qatar, went bogey-free in his round of 65.

Bouncing back from his missed cut at last week’s TPS Hunter Valley, former NZ Open champion Dimitrios Papadatos is tied with Flynn at five-under while Queenslander Cory Crawford bogeyed his final three holes to fall into an 11-way share of 11th at four-under par.

Television coverage of the NZ Open is on Fox Sports and Kayo all four days.

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