KEY POINTS:
New Plymouth golfer Troy Ropiha was the best of the New Zealand golf contingent after the first round of the Lake Macquarie International near Newcastle in New South Wales yesterday.
Ropiha fired a three-under par 69 to share eighth place in the prestigious tournament that has attracted golfers from six nations taking on the best in Australia at Belmont Golf Club in New South Wales.
Australians dominate the top of the leaderboard, with Andrew McCormack of New South Wales firing a superb six-under par 66 to lead local Belmont player Rudi Bezuindenhout by one shot.
Auckland's Leighton James shot a two-under 70, Rotorua 16-year-old Danny Lee, making his senior debut, fired a one-over 73 and Hamilton's James Gill 74.
Ropiha enjoyed the challenge, grouped with Australian champion Tim Stewart and renowned Englishman Gary Wolstenholme.
Leading scores (Australian unless stated):
66: Andrew McCormack
67: Rudi Bezuindenhout
68: Lester Peterson, Aaron Pike, Luke Henwood, Patrick Wilson, Alex Hendrick
69: TROY ROPIHA (NZ)
Also:
70: LEIGHTON JAMES
73: DANNY LEE
74: JAMES GILL
- NZPA