Hot start puts Aussie in front
Six weeks ago a wide-eyed Shae Wools-Cobb shivered and squelched his way around Royal Wellington at his first visit.
Yesterday, Australia’s fifthranked amateur at 57 in the world had the time of his life on a mild Wellington morning to bolt to a four-shot first round lead in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
The 21-year-old from Maroochy River Golf Club on the Sunshine Coast equalled his career-best round of 63 - eight-under after firing seven birdies, one bogey and an eagle three on the 18th. It was the second-lowest round in the nine-year history of the AAC.
New Zealand’s No 1 Nick Voke started solidly with a blemish-free 67 to sit in a four-way tie for second with Japan’s Sean Maruyama, Australia’s Min Woo Lee and Lloyd Jefferson Go of the Philippines.
Masterton’s Kerry Mountcastle (69), Wellington’s Daniel Hillier (70) and Queenstown’s James Anstiss (70) were next best of the 10 New Zealanders, among just 16 of the 116-strong field to break par.
It was some statement from the Australians whose six golfers are looking to emulate their quinella of Curtis Luck and Brett Coletta in South Korea a year ago. There’s the ultimate incentive with a golden ticket into the Masters Tournament and Open championship to the winner.
They got the guided tour of a sodden Royal Wellington from their Kiwi hosts in mid-September and Wools-Cobb wondered what he was in for.
‘‘It was really cold and rainy. It was so different out there. It just felt a lot easier today, so I think that was good that we did come here four weeks ago,’’ he said.
It was warmer this time but he was still sniffling from hay fever which left him ‘‘pretty crook’’ and vomiting last week. His girlfriend, a pharmacist, sorted it out, he said.
Wools-Cobb teed off on the 10th at 9am and had three birdies in his first three holes. When he eagled his ninth hole after a pinpoint three wood he was 29 for the front nine, six-under.
‘‘I rode a pretty hot putter out there. I missed one green and that was on the sixth where I missed it by like a foot and ended up making bogey. I was just hitting it really well. It was just really stress-free.’’
Auckland’s Voke, the world No 44, birdied his first hole and was happy to sign for four-under.
‘‘It was solid. If you’d said I’d shoot four-under at the start of the day I’d certainly take it. In round one you can go backwards and it’s quite hard to stay at the top. To be among those guys and have my name up top of the leaderboard throughout the week that’d be pretty good,’’ he said.