Grace Kim is in a tie for third, while Nathan Barbieri sits in 10th position after the opening day of the 2020 Australian Master of the Amateurs at Victoria Golf Club.
After opening with two bogies in her first five holes, Kim recovered with birdies on the 6th, 8th, 15th and 18th. Her only other blemish was a bogey on the tough par four 11th on her way to a one-under-par 71.
Defending Champion Stephanie Kyriacou is in 10th place after opening with an even-par 72. Despite opening the defence of her championship with an opening hole birdie, Kyriacou battled the testing course and brisk south-westerly breeze with little reward.
Avondale’s June Song is in 18th place after a two-over-par round, while Concord’s Sophie Yip is another shot back in 23rd spot.
The remaining NSW players are well back. Darcy Habgood is in 31st while current New Zealand Women’s Amateur Champion Doey Choi fought not only a tricky Victoria Golf Club layout but also a swollen wisdom tooth on her way to a 76.
Amy Chu, on break from her studies at Washington State, carded a 77, While Kelsey Bennett had a day she would like to forget with a 77.
Korean Min A Yoon leads the women’s section by two shots after carding an impressive five-under-par 67. In second place is the always impressive Cassie Porter, while Kim is part of a five-way tie for third alongside Jeneath Wong, Kirsten Rudgeley, Kirsty Hodgkiss, Indonesian Ida Ay Indira Melati and Alyaa Abdulghany of Malaysia.
LEADERBOARD – Women
67: Min A Yoon
68: Cassie Porter
71: Grace Kim, Jeneath Wong, Kirsten Rudgeley, Kirsty Hodgkiss, Ida Indira Melati, Ariane Klotz
Nathan Barbieri is the best of the Blues contingent just three back from the lead after round one of the Men’s Division of the Australian Master of the Amateurs.
It’s an international affair a the top leaderboard with the American pair of Sahith Theegala and Quade Cummins sitting alongside England’s Benjamin Schmidt after carding matching opening rounds of six-under-par 66.
Canberra’s Harry Bolton is in 21st place after a one-under-par 71, while St. Michael’s Harrison Crowe and The Vintage’s Corey Lamb are at even par and in 28th place.
Josh Armstrong and Lucas Higgins are in 46th position, while Royal Canberra’s Jordan Ayre is in 53rd. Jordie Garnie had a day he would no doubt prefer to forget with a five-over 77.
Round two of the Australian Master of the Amateurs will get underway tomorrow at 7.30 am.
LEADERBOARD – MEN
66: Benjamin Schmidt, Sahith Theegala, Quade Cummins
67: Jack Buchanan
68: Jared Edwards, Benjamin Jones, Laurenz Schiergen, Connor McKinney, Jang Hyun Lee
69: Hayden Hopewell, Yuta Sugiura, Jospeh Owen, Naraajie E Ramadhan Putra, Jed Morgan, Nathan Barbieri.
