St. Michael’s Golf Club’s Travis Smyth has fired a sizzling 8-under par 64 in scorching conditions at Terrey Hills Country Club this afternoon to lead the Men’s NSW Medal by three shots.
As the temperature rose, it was Smyth who was in red-hot form around the Northern Sydney layout, posting a career-low round for the 22-year-old.
“Eight-under is my lowest round ever, and I eagled the last for that. I’m pretty pleased, seven under has been a bit of a curse, and I’ve finally cracked it today,” Smyth laughed.
“Off the tee didn’t hit it that good, but my iron play was amazing, I got the putter rolling as well,
Smyth isn’t a stranger at the Terrey Hills layout; he’s been getting plenty of practice around the course with a good friend, and member, former World Iron Man Champion Guy Leech.
“Guy’s invited me out here a few times, and it's paying off,” he smiled.
“He’s shared a bit of wisdom with me about the place, some of the driving lines,
Besides the local knowledge, Smyth it seems has been sponging up all he can about the mental side of high-level competition from Leech.
“One thing I’ve learnt is it’s all about the process. And it rubs off; I’ve absorbed a lot from him, I can thank him for sure.“
New Zealand’s Luke Brown sits in second place after firing a 5-under par 67 at Killara Golf Club this morning. Brown’s managed the conditions well, recording an eagle and three birdies on a day where the temperatures soared into the high thirties.
Alongside Brown is Canadian Amateur Golf Squad member Stuart Macdonald. The 22-year-old who recently Graduated from Purdue University, is enjoying the warmer climate compared to the temperatures back at home in Vancouver. It didn’t take log for the Canadian to get his round going this afternoon with an eagle on his first hole of the day.
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“I hit it pretty solid, pretty straight, I made a 55ft putt for eagle on the first, it’s was a nice way to start a round,” he smiled.
In outright 4th place is Queensland’s Steven Cox, who seems to have developed an affinity for the NSW Amateur Championship. The 19-year old rekindled the form he showed to make the semi-finals of the 2016 NSW Amateur by carding a nice 4-under par 68 at Killara.
Burleigh Heads Lucas Higgins and England’s Scott Gregory sit in a tie for fifth at 3-under par, while another seven players are sitting at 2-under par.
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in the Women’s Strokeplay, it was the Juggernaut that is the Korean Women’s Golf Team that kept rolling along during round one at Terrey Hills Golf Club.
Although the Terrey Hills layout doesn’t have an officially recognised Women’s Course Record, the 8-under par 64 effort by Haeran Ryu would certainly qualify as one of the lowest scores ever shot on the Graham Marsh designed course.
Ryu isn’t quite alone at the tope of the leaderboard, her teammates HyunKyung Park and Hyejin Choi, the Australian Women’s Amateur Champion, sit two shots adrift in a tie for second place.
The Avondale Women’s Amateur Champion Ga Young Lee had a relatively quiet (by her standards) four-under par 68. Alongside her is the best of the local contingent, Coolangatta Tweed Heads Rebecca Kay.