#NSWAM WRAP: Perfect Pickin Goes Ten Deep

Newcastle’s Jye Pickin has carded a course record 10 under par 61 in a sizzling opening round of the NSW Medal at The Links Shell Cove golf club.

The 21 year old was faultless, with ten birdies and no bogies on his card en route to his best ever score.

In a sign that conditions were almost perfect, a trio of young guns sit just one back of Pickin, South Australian Jack Buchanan, Western Australia’s Connor Fewkes, and NSW GC’s Jye Halls.

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Pickin however, was the man of the moment.

“I was just really looking forward to playing this morning,” Pickin beamed. “The key was getting off the tee well, and I did that.”

“I hit 17 greens and rolled in some putts, and when you give yourself lots of chances, well, it helps.”

Pickin admitted the magical number 59 was never really in his mind, he was simply happy to be ‘in the moment’.

“It was a real thrill though. When you get to five (under) or so through nine holes, you get that feeling.” He added, “then to add another five on the back felt awesome.”

Josh Greer was the best of the players around the Wollongong links layout, carding an impressive seven-under in the afternoon half of the draw.

“I’m pretty happy. I didn’t do much really good, I was just solid and took advantage of the easy holes,” Greer said post round.

“I bogeyed the 10th but hit every green apart from that.”

Greer has had a mixed couple of weeks, a fourth place finish in the Australian Master of the Amateurs followed by low amateur honours at last week’s Queensland PGA. With the West Australian border closure making life difficult, Greer is hoping to find a few more starts this side of the continent.

“Obviously I can’t get home, so I’m trying to see what I can get parts into. Obviously, if I can win this I’ll get the NSW Open. It will be worth it. I’ll wait and see.”

Grahame Stinson in action during his four under round at Wollongong

1.30PM: Packed leaderboards par for the course

Western Australian Josh Greer has a one shot lead with a group of four lurking a shot back, while in the women’s pair of Queenslanders is showing the rest of the field a clean pair of heels midway through the opening day of the NSW Amateur.

Greer has got it to five under with four holes to play after a four birdie-no-bogey front nine with more chances on the closing holes, including the par-five last.

Sitting one back of Greer are Links Shell Cove’s Grahame Stinson, Kyle Gray (QLD), Matthew Lever (VIC), and playing at the Links, Mollymook’s Jye Halls, who is only five holes into his round.

In the women’s the Queensland duo of Justice Bosio and Sarah Hammett have left the field in there wake, both carding impressive seven under 64’s in conditions perfect for scoring.