An takes lead with a late hole-in-one
EVIN PRIEST AND DARREN WALTON This is my third one but first with a prize,” An said after earning himself a $17,000 Swiss watch.
“It was a soft seven iron. I didn’t even know the distance. My caddie just said to hit seven iron and take five (metres) off.”
An had watched on as American big gun Matt Kuchar and Australian amateur David Micheluzzi entered the clubhouse at seven under par after blitzing the morning wave. Kuchar, the world No.29, lived up to his billing as the highest-ranked player in the field with a five-under 67 and was joined atop the leaderboard shortly after by Micheluzzi (69) and last week’s NSW Open winner Jake McLeod (67).
Kuchar’s countryman Keegan Bradley returned a 66 to sit a shot back at six under, sharing fifth with six other challengers – Jordan Zunic (65), Cameron Percy (69), Marcus Fraser (69), Matt Jager (70), Mexican Abraham Ancer (69) and Japanese amateur Keita Nakajima (68).
Micheluzzi, who is bidding to become the first amateur to win the Stonehaven Cup since Aaron Baddeley in 1999, jumped out of the gates yesterday with three birdies and an eagle in his first six holes.
Although the 22-year-old suffered three consecutive bogeys around the turn, he responded with a birdie at the third (his 12th).
All up, 15 players are within three strokes of the lead, ensuring a grandstand weekend finish. But defending champion Cameron Davis and pretournament favourite Cameron Smith have work to do, each falling nine shots off the pace.
After opening his first round with a quadruple eight on the way to a four-over 76, Davis dunked two more balls in the water on the par-5 11th to rack up a disastrous triple bogey on his second hole yesterday. But he hit back superbly with successive birdies and an eagle on the par-5 14th.