Dubai: Australian Christopher Wood, playing in the final pairing of the day on the Remarkables layout at the Millbrook Resort, was in inspired form making an eagle and eight birdies for a sensational course-record 61 in the first round of the NZ$1,650,000 New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT on the Asian Tour
Wood said, “It’s obviously great to get off to a good start so, hopefully, get out there early in the morning and keep going.
Four-shot lead
“I’ve been playing average but the last tournament back in Australia I played pretty decent the last three rounds. I knew the game was coming around nicely.”
Wood takes a four-shot lead into Friday’s second round. In tied second is Gunn Charoankul (Thai), and his revival continues when he shot a six under-par 65.
Despite a misbehaving driver, Gunn put together a flawless bogey-free round on the Remarkables Course making three birdies on each nine.
Great result
Gunn finished second in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago for his best result in three years on the Asian Tour, having been hampered by a persistent degenerative thumb injury for most of that period.
And that form continued on Thursday on a beautiful sun-drenched summer’s day at Millbrook in Queenstown, where stunning mountainous scenery encircles the course.
“Great result but I didn’t really drive it great today,” said Gunn. “I hit a lot of drives right into the rough, but I managed to get away with good lies. So, I was able to get on the green and give myself some chances. I didn’t play the par fives great as well, only made birdie on one of them today.”
Turning the corner
After a brilliant 2019 when he was playing the best golf of his life, regularly challenging on both the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour, Gunn has been battling to recapture his form, and the signs are clearly there that he is starting to turn the corner.
Currently in fourth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, he is yet to win on the Tour, where he has finished second three times.
New Zealand 51 year-old veteran Steve Alker and his compatriot Kit Bittle, Australian Thomas Power Horan, and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji and Tomoyo Ikemura also came in with 65’s — in a Pro-Am format event that sees each professional paired with an amateur partner.
Solitary bogey
Alker, who hit the big-time on the Champions Tour last year winning four times including a Senior’s Major the Senior PGA Championship, carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey, also on the Remarkables layout.
He was most happy with his putting, apart from one three putt. New Zealand amateurs Sam Jones, Jayden Ford, and Kazuma Kobori, and Australians Lawry Flynn and Dimitrios Papadatos all came in with 66’s.
On day two those who played on the Remarkables on Thursday will switch to the Coronet Course, and vice versa.
Round One Leaders (All played round one over Remarkables except T.P. Horan):
C. Wood (Aus) 62.
S. Alker (NZ) 66.
K. Bittle (NZ ) 66.
G. Charoenkul (Thai) 66.
T.P. Horan (Aus) 66.
Y. Asaji (Japan) 66.
T. Ikemura (Japan) 66.
