It seems the Australians were more accustomed to the hot conditions as they led the charge in round one at the 103rd New Zealand Open.
With temperatures hovering around 23C, six of the top 10 golfers after the opening round hailed from across the Tasman, but there were a few Kiwis on their tail.
They include Ben Campbell, who sank a monster 33-foot eagle putt on the 18th green to shoot up the leaderboard and into a tie for third.
The Queenstown local employed some home-course knowledge and said he knew the line for the putt was a foot or so to the right.
“It was good to finally hole one there on the last, I probably had four or five putts just come short. Nice to make one there on the last, [my] game wasn’t too far away today, it could have been a really low one, so [it’s] nice to start like that.”
Campbell said he was particularly pleased with how he stayed composed after some putts slid wide of the cup early in his round, and his often troublesome back hadn’t given him any issues.
“I stayed pretty patient, I was getting a bit frustrated through about 10 holes because I hadn’t made too much but I put some good swings on it, stuff I’d been working on was good and [the] body felt really good, which was nice.”
The eagle was not only a highlight reel moment but would also get Campbell out onto the course in one of the early groups tomorrow before the weather heats up.
“Yeah, it’ll be good. I probably played that side [of the resort] a lot more than I’ve played this side, so I can definitely go low out there, it’ll be good. Hopefully not too much wind and get off to a good start.”
Tied for the overnight lead, Australian Matthew Griffin carded eight birdies and a solitary bogey to sit at seven-under and one shot ahead of the pack.
The Melburnian said his success on the greens allowed him to consistently make birdies and card a solid start.
“Yeah, absolutely. Feeling great. It’s nice to roll a few putts in and make plenty of birdies and get right into the leaderboard.”
Matthew Griffin hits a tee shot in the first round of the New Zealand Open at Millbrook. Photo / Photosport
There were few clouds to speak of at Millbrook Resort, which allowed for close to perfect golfing conditions, Griffin said the courses were playing immaculately so fans could expect plenty more low scores should the weather hold up.
“If your game’s strong, you really should shoot a low number.”
Most players said before the tournament that the real opportunity to score would come on the greens, and Griffin said the chat last year that they were a little too fast was unlikely to be repeated this year.
“As the day dries out, they’ll probably get a little bit firmer and faster, but for day one they were very receptive and not too fast.”
Kieran Muir on the first tee at Millbrook Resort. Photo / Photosport
The next best of the Kiwis after round one was Kieran Muir, who carded a five-under 66 in a bogey-free round with five birdies.
The Ōmokoroa local said he initially struggled with the slow pace of play, but once his first birdie dropped the second nine fell into place - he scored another four birdies.
“I was happy today. I was patient. It took me a wee while to build into things. I got a birdie early and had to stay patient as I was dealing internally with the pace of play as it was a little bit slow.
Muir said his recent form held out on the first day and he knew that as long as he could take his opportunities to score, that should continue through the rest of the tournament.
“I’ve been really good tee to green for the last few months. It has been about taking the opportunities when I have had them and I have not done that recently. That was a nice start today. I knocked in a few good birdie putts and kept the momentum going when I had to save par.”
