Day one of the 2015 Oates Victorian Open has marked the start of a handful of professional careers including Victorians Todd Sinnott and Su Oh.
Sinnott displayed composure when teeing off next to reigning men’s champion Matt Griffin this morning.
“I’m not going to get carried away with any expectations or anything like that; I’m sticking to my game plan so we’ll see how that ends up.
“I think Matt and I play differently on the golf course; his putting looks so good and that’s where he makes up for a lot of his shots,” said Sinnott.
Sinnott, who finished with an impressive four under par, believes this week’s tournament marks a new chapter in his career.
“Everything I have done up until now in golf has been for the professional circuit so I felt that I put in a solid performance today.”
However Oh, who was also paired with stars Stacey Keating and Laura Davies, admits her focus is already on the upcoming weekend’s action.
“Maybe when we reach Sunday it will feel different but until then it’s the same as the last few tournaments,” said Oh who finished with an even par 73.
Meanwhile, Victorian amateur Lucas Herbert stated that it was a privilege to play alongside veterans Peter Lonard and, the man of the moment, Richard Green.
“There were obviously a couple of butterflies floating around but I was just looking forward to seeing those guys play in general,” said Herbert who finished three under par.
“He [Green] has always been there in the big events and we all know who he is; he’s a legend of Australian golf even though he’s still playing today.
“Even Pete [Lonard] has played in America and done some great things,” Herbert said.
Herbert, 19, is now eyeing more success throughout the later stages of the tournament starting with his second round on the Beach course tomorrow.
“I kind of hung in there in the end to post the score which I’m really proud of looking back.
“I’ve had plenty of exposure to it but if it’s windy that will make it very tough so hopefully that dies down a little bit for us,” stated Herbert.
Current leading the men’s tournament is Richard Green and Kristopher Mueck at six-under, whilst Marianne Skarpnord, Beth Allen, Steph Na and Elizabeth Elmassian all share the women’s tournament lead at three-under.
By: Alex Tigani, Golf Victoria media