Felton, John lead NSW Open

WEST Australian Jarryd Felton and Victorian Cameron John have set the early pace at the NSW Open, but hold just a one-shot lead over nine players.

Playing in the morning, Felton fired a six-under 66 at the Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club yesterday to continue a strong showing in a tournament where he tied for sixth last year.

Rookie pro John, 19, rolled in a birdie on the 18th to join Felton atop the leaderboard after playing through the pain of a bulging disc.

“The putter was pretty much on fire today. I have been feeling good about my game but I was struggling on Monday, I wasn’t sure if I was going to play,’’ he said.

“Given my spot on the Order of Merit, I need to play everything, so I have played my fifth week in a row while injured.

“I want to go to Asian Tour School at the end of the year so it is a big advantage to be top-50, I am currently 42nd, so it’s important to play well.”

Victorian PGA champion Aaron Pike, who arrived at the course just 10 minutes before his 7.15am tee time due to a mix up with his alarm, fired fiveunder to be one of nine players clustered in third.