Curtis Luck
(New Zealand Golf Photo)
ROSE BAY, Australia (November 17, 2016) -- Reigning
U.S. and Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Curtis Luck has
opened his Australian Open with a 5-under 67 and he is
presently tied for the lead with Lucas Herbert.
Luck, playing alongside two-time major winner
Jordan Spieth and 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff
Ogilivy, was the low man in the group with his seven
birdie and two bogey round.
"I played pretty well today," Luck told Golf
Australia. "I just managed myself really good I think
and that was key to shooting 5-under out there. When I
hit a bad shot I made up for it through (course)
management."
Beginning on the 10th hole at Royal Sydney Golf
Club Luck birdied his first hole and then No. 15 to turn
in 2-under 34.
"There were (nerves on the first tee) which I think
is a good thing but Jordan (Spieth) and Geoff (Ogilvy)
were both great with me so I settled down
pretty quick and it was easy to get back to business,"
continued Luck.
Heading for home Luck reached 4-under with
birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 only to bogey the next two
holes to return to 2-under. Undeterred the 20-year-old
bounced back with birdies on each of the next three
holes before finishing with a par on the 9th.
"We had a lot of fun out there as a group," a 3-
under Jordan Spieth said." Curtis (Luck) has a really
impressive short game and obviously he struck the ball
nicely as well but anytime he got into trouble it felt like
it was a tap in which is something you definitely need to
have to contend for a championship."
Besides Luck four other amateurs are under-par
after 18-holes.
Travis Smyth is 3-under in a tie for eighth, Harrison
Endycott and Daniel Hillier are part of a big group at 2-
under in tie foe 16th while Brett Coletta is tied for 33rd
at 1-under.
Smyth got as low as 4-under during his round
before settling for a 69 that left him just two off the
pace. During his five birdie, three bogey round Smyth's
best
golf came from Nos. 6-8 when he carded circles on all
three holes.
Endycott was able to overcome a rocky start to
reach red figures with still three rounds remaining.
Teeing of on No. 10 Endycott double-bogeyed the 15th
to fall to 3-over before turning things around. Endycott
responded with birdies on two of the three next holes
and then rolled in four more birds against only one
bogey on his second nine.
Daniel Hiller reached the 2-under mark with a five
birdie, three bogey round. Starting on the back nine
Hiller converted his first birdie on his opening hole.
From
their birdies came on Nos. 13, 16, 1 and 2.
Recent Queensland Open winner Brett Coletta was
able to remain in red figures despite a pair of double-
bogeys. Coletta came storming out of the gates with a
bogey-free 4-under 32 on the frontside. However, the
the two blemishes on the 11th and 17th holes dropped
him back to 1-under before he was able to regain some
momentum thanks to a closing hole birdie.
The Rest of the Amateurs
Min Woo Lee (E; T50)
Zach Murray (+1; T69)
Connor Syme (+1; T69)
Yuxin Lin (+2; T93)
Zhengkai Bai (+3; T110)
Austin Bautista (+3; T110)
Kazuki Higa (+3; T110)
Zhihong Zhang (+3; T110)
View results for Australian Open
ABOUT THE
Australian Open
The Australian Open is Golf Australia's National Open
Men's Championship, and is sanctioned by the
Australian
PGA Tour and forms part of the ONEASIA series of
events. Many of Australia's top amateurs qualify for
the
event.
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