Making a return to the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series schedule for the first time since 2012, players delivered a day to remember with two hole-in-ones, eagles galore and a round of seven-under 64 that gives Wharton a handy buffer in the $50,000 event.

The big winner financially on day one was Daniel Beckmann (70), whose hole-in-one at the 164-metre par-3 seventh earned a $100,000 windfall courtesy of PGA of Australia betting partner, betr.

But Beckmann’s was not the sole ace in Round 1, veteran Michael Wright (69) also making a hole-in-one at the par-3 second, albeit without the economic reward.

Like Beckmann, Matt Jager picked up three shots across the seventh and eighth holes on Tuesday to sit in outright second at four-under par 67, one clear of fellow Victorians Brock Gillard (68) and Peter Wilson (68).

A former club champion at Portsea, Wharton was thankful for the inside knowledge having not touched his clubs since the Australian Open last month.

“Played really well today. Know the course, obviously, and I’ve had three weeks without touching a club so it was all down to a positive attitude,” said Wharton, who chipped in for eagle at the 256-metre par-4 10th to go with six birdies and a lone bogey.

“It’s amazing to be back here playing. I played here as a kid and when I first turned pro and it’s one of the courses in Victoria where you need most local knowledge I’d imagine, with the undulations and blind tee shots. It was a big bonus.”

Jager, too, has history at Portsea, the family’s holiday home providing handy proximity to a young golfer who now spends most of his time facilitating other people’s golf as Director of Golf at Cathedral Lodge and Golf Club.

“I’ve spent a lot of time down here. My family’s holiday house is on the back of the golf course so used to jump the fence and have a chip and a putt around 11,” said the 2010 Australian Amateur champion.

“I know the course well and that was good today because being Christmas and New Year, haven’t done a lot of practice, it’s fair to say.

“It was a little breezy but managed the ball well off the tee and took advantage of a par 5 late to close out the round with an eagle which was nice.”

One-over through 15 holes after starting from the 10th tee, Beckmann hit a “perfect, flat, drawing 6-iron” into a two-club wind at the 164-metre par-3 seventh, landing it six feet short of the flag before rolling centre cup.

Not that he saw it.

“I couldn’t really see it from the tee,” Beckmann conceded of his first ace in a professional event and sixth overall. “I got my laser from out of my bag and checked it and I couldn’t see the ball but I thought it might be just behind the hole.

“I got halfway down the hill and I could see there was no ball there. Then it kind of sunk in.”

If that was a shock, more was to come.

“I had no idea there was even a prize when I hit the shot. I had no idea there was anything up for grabs,” he added.

“One of my playing partners said to me, ‘That’s gone in!’

“He came up and gave me a hug and I was like, ‘Really? Did it really go in?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, that’s 100 grand. You’ve just won a hundred grand.’

“Once I found out that it actually did go in, I got really shaky.”

Beckmann will begin the second and final round six shots off the lead and in a five-way tie for 10th at one-under par.

Click here for Round 1 scores