Zach Murray, 2019 100th New Zealand Open, Round 1 Interview – 28th February 2019

How did you rate your performance today?

It was pretty steady, I didn’t miss too many fairways and I don’t think I missed a green. It was pretty straightforward, I putted well and everything just sort of clicked and I got a lucky bounce here and there where I needed it.

Sometimes those rounds just pop up at the right time and it was fortunate enough that it happened here

I’ve been playing pretty well. I finished fourth at Asian Q School, got my card up there after turning pro and I’ve been playing pretty steady for the last couple of weeks, but it hadn’t really clicked. My motto this week was just to stay patient, you don’t really need too much patience when the putts are going in, which is nice.

I’m from Country Victoria, so I moved to Melbourne about 12 months ago and just been around some better players and been around my coach and I’ve just got a really good set up down there in Melbourne and the vibe’s really good, just enjoying my golf at the moment, enjoying life off the course, so everything’s just going along nice and smoothly

I just hit a lot of good iron shots to 10-15 foot and rolled the putts in. I didn’t hit any super close but I didn’t miss a green so I had an opportunity on every hole.

How was your preparation today?

It was a strange warm up for me. I hit about five balls and I was like ‘I’m not going to get warm’, and so I just sat in the pro shop and waited until the sun came out, hit a couple of putts and off I went.

I do that back at home when I’m just playing with my mates so I suppose I might have to do that more often.

And it was your father’s birthday today?

Dad’s birthday today. He messaged me last night and said 65 would be nice, considering he was born in ‘65, so I added a couple of years onto him today with a 63. I spoke to him quickly just before and he said he doesn’t mind.

When did you turn professional?

Turned pro in November for the Australian Open and it’s been a really smooth transition, I think it’s probably a credit to the VIS and Golf Australia, and the PGA in Australia as well for allowing me to play a number of professional events before I turned pro

You have to prepare a little bit better and do the one percenters a little bit more.

This is the lowest round I’ve shot as a professional, I’ve had 61 on my home course as an amateur, but this would be one of the best rounds I’ve had

I love both tracks, I felt as though The Hills suited me a little bit more so it will be interesting to see how I go tomorrow. I haven’t been driving it well lately and that’s what’s been letting me down but I drove it well today.