The first groups have teed off at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club in Sydney’s west as day one of the NSW Open begins, but it's a 15-year-old Wollongong amateur getting all the attention.
Playing in his first NSW Open and in the first group at 6.45am, Thomas Heaton calmly parred the par-four first, but promptly aced the second hole, the par-three second.
Heaton, who attends Woonoona High School in the Illawarra, continued on the third with a birdie, but went on to bogey the fifth.
Light winds and a calm morning have greeted golfers at this great layout, which is perfect for low scores.
The Graham Marsh-designed course, under an hour by road from Sydney, has been earning a reputation as one of the state’s premier golf resorts, and first-time visitors will be impressed by the resort’s presence.
It’s big, beautiful and with plenty of space for the thousands of visitors expected here over the next few days.
The event has been blessed with another cracking field, with the likes of Peter Lonard, Peter O’Malley, Brett Rumford, and Mathew Goggin – household names in Australian golf – all in the field along with outstanding youngsters Harrison Endycott, Jason Scrivener and Brett Coletta.
Who can forget Coletta’s opening 10-under 62 at Stonecutters Ridge in last year’s NSW Open? Can he do it again, or will it be a bolter from a brilliant field?
Join us throughout the day as we bring you online and social media updates, as well as facebook live events.
The final two rounds will be broadcast on Foxtel Digital, PGA TV and Epicentre.TV throughout the weekend.
If you are thinking about joining us, Twins Creeks is only an hour from the Sydney CBD. Get down here and walk the fairways and see some of the best in action in one of the most accessible events in the Australian summer of golf.