He’s a good sleeper, Deyen Lawson.
So it was with much enthusiasm that the local lad signed for a 66 this morning, enabling a vastly different alarm time setting tomorrow.
Lawson, a member at nearby Curlewis Golf Club and staying at home during the Oates Vic Open, was up with the sparrows today, but his six-under-par round and total vaulted him from making the cut on the number at even par all the way to the top six after the morning wave.
He was joined by Queenslander Michael Wright, who also made the most of the benign morning conditions to join the contending throng.
“Yep, I just wanted a bit of a sleep-in tomorrow,” joked Lawson, who recently completed his PGA traineeship and won cards on both the Australian and Asian tours.
“I’m just starting out (on tour), and you’re out playing against guys who’ve been out here for years in the US and Japan and I’ve just come out of my traineeship, so it’s good to put a couple of reasonable rounds on the board in this company.”
Lawson began in peak form with three opening birdies after starting on the 10th tee.
He slowed mid-round, taking a bogey on the 17th, but four inward birdies and a couple of other near misses proved the 25-year-old, already a prolific winner on the trainee circuit, can compete at the next level.
And that past success has given Lawson a feel for the big moments that should stand him in good stead, especially with so much support from his home Bellarine base.
“I love the butterflies, I love (the pressure) and don’t like being down the bottom and having an early tee time, so I tend to step up when there’s a bit of crowd.
“I think the leaders will move a bit away again this afternoon, but yeah, (to contend tomorrow) would be massive, for everything moving forward, but being closer to home would be fantastic.”
Wright also started quickly today and made three birdies on each side en route to his 66.
The veteran Queenslander yesterday chipped in from off the green on three successive holes to charge back to even par when all had appeared lost.
“I’ve never done two in a row, let alone three, and I needed it. That’s one way of doing it, I suppose,” Wright said with a wide smile.
“But the conditions wereccompletely different today to the last couple of days and it was an absolute pleasure to be out there.
“Nothing really stood out, the putting was solid, but I didn’t hole any 40—footers either, just played well.”
Emerging Victorian Rory Bourke also shot a 67 this morning to join the pair at six under, while big-hitting New South Welshman Lincoln Tighe matched that score to be five under overall.