<image="1" align="centre" />
The 2017 Port Phillip Open Amateur commenced today at the Commonwealth Golf Club in the heart of the Melbourne Sandbelt as ideal scoring conditions gradually gave way to grey skies and the odd spot of rain.
Click here for Golfbox Leaderboards.
168 elite men and women amateur players from all over Australia and overseas have gathered to contest the 72-hole stroke Championship as well as be amongst the leading qualifiers to progress onto the Victorian Amateur match play rounds next week.
A three way tie at the top of the Men’s field saw Victorian pair David Micheluzzi (Cranbourne) and Lukas Michel (Metropolitan) being joined by Royal Adelaide’s Billy Cawthorne, all shooting four-under 68s around the 6473m, Par 73 Commonwealth layout. Closely behind on three-under saw a host of players including Blake Collyer (Metropolitan), Jack Brennan (Woodlands), Will Mackenzie (Warrnambool), Kyle Michel (Shepparton), Harry Smiles (Peninsula-Kingswood), and Kingston Heath pair Andree Lautee and Jack Murdoch.
In the women’s section, Grace Kim from Avondale shot a scintillating seven-under 66 to lead the way from Victoria Golf Club pair Kono Matsumoto and Stephanie Bunque both on five-under. Concord’s Doey Choi on four-under, Joanna Flaherty from Commonwealth at three-under and Moore Park’s Monica Johnson on two-under were the other women to break par during the afternoon.
An early highlight of day one was provided by Warrnambool’s Will Mackenzie as he aced the 137m Par 3 9th on his way to a three-under 70. Royal Adelaide’s Billy Cawthorne was the best of the morning scores firing a five-under 68. Mathias Sanchez (Royal Melbourne) continued his fine form from the Australian Open where he was the leading amateur by shooting a four-under 69.
Players will take to the course at Commonwealth again tomorrow for the second round of the Port Phillip Open Amateur, before the 36-hole cut is conducted to find the players moving onto Kingston Heath.
Click here for Rd 1 results & photos.