Andrew Martin of Australia shot an opening 6-under 66 to top a congested leaderboard at the US$300,000 Asia-Pacific Classic on Thursday.

The 33-year-old had a commendable front nine, carding four birdies against a lone bogey before turning in 32. Martin scored two more birdies before signing for a 66 for a one-shot lead at the St Andrews Golf Club in Henan, China.

Martin, as well as, the leading golfers after the first round, took advantage of the calm weather conditions and soft greens to card low scores.

"The round was out there for the taking actually. It wasn’t windy and the greens were quite soft. I think I’m pretty happy with myself, on how I played the course. I hit some bad shots, but I managed to get away with them. So overall, yes, I’m very happy with my opening round," said Martin.

"There wasn’t a particular that stood out for me. I played solidly the whole day and hit plenty of fairways and greens. I was hitting it quite close early in my round. In my back-9, I drove a few shots into the rough which made it a little bit harder. But overall, I thought I had quite a solid round.

"The calm conditions helped, and the soft greens allowed me to attack the pin, but you still have to hit it well and hole the putts.

"I’m going to stick to my game plan. I’m not overly long compared to the other guys. I’m going to rest, as it is getting a bit humid here. After a visit to the physio, I’ll be heading back and relax for the afternoon."

Victorian Jack Wilson is one shot further back following his opening round of 5-under 67 alongside fellow Victorian Josh Younger.

"I was still adjusting to being in a new country before the start of the round, so it was good to get things going. I birdied the par-five and made a good save on hole four. I holed out for eagle on six and from then on, things were pretty easy. I birdied 10. I hit it five feet on 12, six feet on 13, 10 feet on 14 but didn’t make any of them. I also missed a short putt on 15. It was a bit deflating, but it’s good to get a good number on the board," said Wilson

"It was very easy out there on the golf course. But, you still got to hit it well. Ball striking has always been my strength and if I can get my putter working, then it should be a good week.

"My decision making has been good today. I didn’t attack flags when I was out of position and I attacked the flag when I was in good positions. I kept myself level-headed on most parts."

New Zealand’s Gareth Paddison is the next best placed Australasian a shot further back at 4-under 68.

For round one scores, visit the Asian Tour.

Victorian PGA Professional Andrew Martin finishes the year on a high, taking out the Greater Shepparton Masters to make it two wins in a row.

Martin started the day just one shot behind overnight leader and tournament favourite Richard Green and got into his work early with an opening birdie to draw level with Green.  Both players made eagle on the short par-5 3^rd to jump to 10-under and clear of the field.

Green’s journey then became a bit of a rough ride. He made double bogey on the 4^th and the 7^th and birdies on the 5^th,6^th and 9^th to make the make the turn at 9-under par.

After a soft bogey on the 4^th Martin held his nerve with four straight pars but it was on the short par-5 9^th Martin where pounced.  An eagle, his second for the front-9 saw him jump two shots clear of Green at 11-under par.

“Ben, one of my amateur partners today told me that he really likes the front-9 here at Numurkah and I guess I do now too,” said Martin.

Scoring was tougher for all competitors today on the back and it showed with the leaders too. Green slipped another shot behind Martin after a bogeying the 12^th, but rallied with birdies on the 13^th and the 15^th Green was back in the hunt just one behind Martin.

“It was a good birdie but at the time I don’t know how Richard was going,” added Martin.

Green made par on the 17^th and then a good birdie to finish on the 18^th to be just one behind Martin and in a tie for second place with Tasmanian Simon Hawkes who went about his business almost under the radar.  A round that featured six birdies, three of them in a row around the turn saw him sign for a 5-under 67, a total of 11-under with Green.

Martin played solid golf down the last two holes with regulation pars to finish one clear of Green and Hawkes 5-under for the day, 12-under for the Tournament and the title of Greater Shepparton Masters Champion for 2017.

Martin’s form in the last six month of the year have been hot and he credits his putting.

“I having been hitting about the same all year, but the last six months I have just been holing putts.”

After making the cut in the last three ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia events of the year with his best result a T24 in the Emirates Australian Open in Sydney, Martin set his focus to the remaining Pro-Am’s.  A course record equalling 9-under in the Commercial Club Albury Pro-Am started the week which finished in with his second victory in a row today.

The low round of the day went to Mitchell A. Brown, his 6-under 66 was enough to edge out Peter Wilson for the Victorian / Tasmanian Pro-Am Order of Merit victory, the margin a mere $14.26 in one of tightest finishes ever.

Not all was lost for Wilson though, his T15th today enough to secure the National Pro-Am Order of Merit victory over New South Welshman Dale Brandt-Richards.

A stretch of six birdies in seven holes saw Andrew Martin equal the course record on the Commercial Club layout on his way to winning the Commercial Club Albury Pro-Am but he was upstaged by NSW Professional Sam Newbrun who drove home a new Mercedes-Benz thanks to his ace day.

In what could only be described as one of the best pro-am fields to be assembled outside the metropolitan area; featuring European Tour players Marcus Fraser and Richard Green, David Bransdon who recently tied 4^th in the Australian PGA Championship and National Pro-Am Order of Merit leaders Peter Wilson and Dale Brandt-Richards a capacity field gathered to contest the Commercial Club Albury Pro-Am.

Scoring seemed difficult for the morning players with only a handful of players under par on the small and sloping greens. Lloyd White, Brad Lamb and Shane Cochrane sharing the honours tied tied on 3-under 67.

However NSW Professional Sam Newbrun stole the show holing out on the par-3 10^th hole winning himself a brand new C330 Mercedes-Benz valued at over $80,000. Local car dealer Baker Motors, a long time supporter of the event offered up the vehicle for the first player to score a hole-in-one of the 177m par-3.

This was the second time in three years that the car has gone off and Newbrun was speechless after it happened.

“I just can’t believe it, I don’t know what to say, this is the first hole-in-one I’ve ever had.” gasped Newbrun as he reached the green to retrieve his ball from the bottom of the cup.

A last minute decision to enter the event last week has seen him drive away with the best pay day of his Professional career and memory to last a life time.

The crowds started to build as the afternoon players hit the course.  Many of the local spectators had come to see just one man, Marcus Fraser who hails from just down the road in Corowa.

He got to work right away with an easy birdie on the 1^st before backing it up on the short par-5 2^nd with an eagle.  Another birdie on the 5^th saw him make the turn at 4-under the card and in the lead.

Fraser extended his lead with a birdie on the 11^th but that’s where his run ended, eventually signing for a 5-under 67.

The next most credentialed player, Richard Green, got things going as the temperature pushed past 36 degrees.  The 2015 Victorian Open Champion got his round underway with a birdie on the 11^th and then backed it up with three more on the 13^th,16^th and the 18^th to turn for home 4-under the card and in hot pursuit of Fraser.

Green soon took the lead after back to back birdies on the 1^st and 2^nd but a costly bogey on the 3^rd saw him tied with Fraser on 5-under the card. Green managed a good birdie on the 9^th to regain the lead but when his tee shot on the 10^th missed the putting surface on the high side and the subsequent chip glided past the hole he was left with an eight footer back up the hill for the clubhouse lead.  His putt slide past and he tapped in for a boegy-4 and finished the round tied with Fraser on 5-under 67.

The pair were soon joined by Deyen Lawson and David Bransdon who both managed to keep clean sheets with five birdies and no bogeys.  Michael Choi joined in the fun and soon there was a 5-way tie for the lead.

South Australian Max McCardle broke the deadlock.  He too managed to produce a bogey free round that was highlighted by a back-9 that included four birdies.  A further two birdies on the front-9 saw him take the outright lead by one shot with 6-under 64.

However it was Andrew Martin’s blistering stretch that began on the 5^th hole that set up his win.  Martin peeled off six birdies in seven holes to joined McCardle in the lead.  A birdie three on the 16^th gave him the lead and when he made easy birdies on the back to back par-5’s on the 1^st and 2^nd Martin had tied the course record at 9-under and signed for a three shot win.  This win comes after some improved form from Martin who had battled early in the year on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

“I finished tied 8^th back in October at the Indonesia Open and then I made the cut in the last three events on the PGA Tour of Australasia which was great.” said Martin who plans to head back to the Asian Tour in January to try and capture a card for the 2018 season.

“Now that I’ve retained my card here in Australia I’ll head to Asian Tour School with the view to play between both Tours next season.”

Martin was full of praise for the course at Albury too.

“The greens here were great.  They didn’t have the shine that they have had in previous years which meant we were able to attack the pins a little more.”

“They are rolling perfectly too.  It’s great to come here and play, it’s a great event as we finish our pro-am season.” Martin added.

The race for the 2017 National Pro-Am Order of Merit is still wide open with both Peter Wilson and Dale Brandt-Richards who were paired together for the day failing to make a cheque.  Wilson’s lead remain just over $1,000 over Brandt-Richards as the players head to Mooroopna and Numurkah golf course over next two days for the Greater Shepparton Masters, the final event of 2017.