Golf: Bugs bolts into NZ Open lead

6.40pm - By MARTIN DAVIDSON

The bolters' role was performed admirably today by Bugs Bunny and New Zealand amateur golfer Brad Heaven, who bounded into a share of the lead in the opening round of the New Zealand Open at The Grange.

Bunny, an Australasian PGA Tour rookie christened Ben by his parents but who answers to Bugs, hared around the 5962m layout in ideal conditions to shoot a six-under-par 64 and sit alongside fellow Australians O'Malley and Wade Ormsby as well as United States-based Heaven atop the leaderboard.

A course rendered vulnerable by a light breeze, cloud cover and forgiving greens and fairways, resulted in a congested leaderboard as 63 players bettered par.

It was a heady introduction to the paid ranks for Bunny, 25, of Melbourne, who marked his first appearance as a professional by stringing together eight birdies on the back of just 26 putts.

Despite a name that screams out for attention, Bunny said he appreciated his relative obscurity, after securing his tour card only last month by finishing 16th at qualifying school.

"It makes everything a lot more calm, not many people are out there looking for me. It'll be interesting to see how the next couple of days go, though," he said.

The top quartet were one shot ahead of compatriots Ricky Schmidt and Matthew Millar, and Auckland amateur Chris Johns. A cluster of Australians fired 66s, among them 2003 New Zealand amateur champion Kurt Barnes, Lucas Parsons, David Diaz, Simon Nash, Lucas Parsons and Chris Downes.

Christchurch's Eddie Lee came home in 32 to be on 66 while Grange trainee teaching pro Stuart Thompson, who won the qualifying tournament on Monday, showed his course knowledge to post 67.

Among those on the same score were defending champion Mahal Pearce, David Smail and Australians Peter Fowler and Peter Senior.

Fans of Sir Bob Charles didn't see any fireworks as he battled his game to post a 74 in what shapes as his penultimate round at the championship, a tournament he won for the first time 50 years ago.

He was three strokes behind New Zealand No 1 Michael Campbell, who couldn't get things going today, while Steve Alker also had to make do with a 71.

Bunny's surge to the lead came late in his round when he birdied the 16th, 17th and 18th holes but he said of equal importance were par saves from five and 25 feet on the 12th and 13th after a bogey five on the 11th left him a touch shaky.

"It was a good finish; it's funny I hadn't really thought about it until now," he said.

A late bloomer who didn't start playing national events across the Tasman until he was 23, Bunny's lack of experience meant he did not know whether holding the first-round lead would help or hinder him in coming days.

The same could not be said of O'Malley, who has a comfort blanket in the knowledge that he has led after the first round in four of his six career title wins.

"I don't mind being in this position at all," O'Malley, 38, said after posting nine birdies.

He felt his score did not reflect just how well he played as the early starters were greeted by a course cloaked in cloud and a light breeze to keep the summer heat at bay.

O'Malley, who won the New Zealand Open at the Grange in 1995, hit all but one fairway and the one he missed, the 17th, was by all of 2.5cm.

"It was a shame to have three bogeys because I didn't play bad enough to have a bogey," O'Malley said.

Ormsby, fifth equal in this tournament 12 months ago, eagled the par-five 12th by putting in from the fringe and also made three important sand saves for par on the back nine.

Pearce was particularly pleased to be in red figures, having overcome the pressures - both real and imagined - of defending the title he won 12 months ago at nearby Middlemore.

He was a nervous wreck on the first tee, saying he was "shaking in my boots" while watching player partner Michael Campbell tee off.

Pearce put aside those feelings of anxiety quickly when he holed out with a wedge from 111m on the first hole for an eagle two.

"It bounced about one yard short and in it went. That calmed the nerves down just a little bit," the solidly built Dunedinite said.

"I'm pretty stoked. I'm glad to get the first round over and done with, to be honest."

- NZPA