(16 January 2011 – Mt Broughton, NSW)
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Victoria&aposs Alison Whitaker stood out from the field at the Mt Broughton Classic today with a first round of 6-under par 66. Her round consisted of seven birdies and a solitary bogey on the magnificent Mt Broughton layout. It gives her a two-shot cushion heading into tomorrow’s final round, with the three placegetters from Friday’s Moss Vale event tied for second; Katherine Hull, Stephanie Na and Sarah-Jane Smith who joined Mollymook’s Samantha Whittle on 4-under par 68. Vicky Thomas and Sarah Oh are a shot further back at 3-under par 69.
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Whitaker got off to a fast start with birdies at the 1st and 3rd holes before dropping a shot at the tough par-3 6th hole to leave her at 1-under. She then took advantage of the par-5’s on the way to the turn with birdie 4’s at the 7th and 9th holes to turn in 3-under par 33. Again, it was the par-5’s on the back nine where Whitaker made her score with further birdies at the 11th and 15th holes before punctuating her splendid play with a last hole birdie for 66.
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Asked about her round she said, “What an awesome course. The guys I played with were great fun and to be honest, I misread a few putts and they went in. But that’s how golf goes sometimes. I hit the ball really well so I guess you make your own luck.”
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Hull, who was the last start winner at Moss Vale continued her good play with a first round of 68. She also got off to a flying start with birdies at the 1st, 3rd and 5th holes. Her round was blunted somewhat by a disappointing bogey at the par-5 7th hole which she rectified with a birdie at the 9th to also go out in 33. Eight straight pars on the back nine and a birdie at the last leaves her within sight of back-to-back victories. Afterwards she said, “That’s probably the worst score I could have shot but I’ll take it. Tomorrow’s another day.”
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Na, second at Moss Vale posted a bogey-free round with birdies at three of the par-5’s and also on the par-4 14th hole. Smith started on the back nine, also taking advantage of the par-5’s to turn in 2-under par. She then made a bogey at the 1st before an eagle at the 7th was followed by a birdie at the 9th to also post 68.
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Whittle was the only one of the leading 5 to play in the morning and took full advantage of the benign conditions, notching 5 birdies and one bogey.
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Play resumes tomorrow at 7.00am with the leaders to tee off from 12.00noon.