Australian David Micheluzzi started the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in fine fashion by opening up a three-shot lead after day one, his lowest ever DP World Tour round.
Micheluzzi has enjoyed an excellent start to the season on home soil, a recent winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia, lifting the trophy at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics and then last week on the DP World Tour in Brisbane he secured a maiden top ten.
“The last probably few weeks or the win in WA, that third day and the last day was pretty much how I’ve been hitting it the last five months. I hadn’t played amazing golf over the last stretch, even last week wasn’t amazing, just plodded around.
“I’ve just gotten better at everything. I feel like my course management’s really good all the time. I know how to think around a golf course. Just hitting it better, just comfortable with playing these events now. I think this is what, our seventh event in the space of nine weeks, so yeah, just being comfortable in the situation.”
The 26-year-old carded a 63 at Victoria Golf Club to get to seven under to lead the way from countryman Matthew Griffin and Kiwi Josh Geary, who was playing Kingston Heath Golf Club.
Griffin had six birdies and two bogeys in his round to join Geary at four under, one shot clear of a group of six players. Among them three Australians in Garcia, McKinney and Barron. American Wiebe, France's Pineau and finally Denmark's Nicolai Højgaard, with the two-time DP World Tour winner making four birdies and a bogey in his 67 at Victoria Golf Club.
Australia's national open is breaking new ground this week with 300 players taking part across the men's, women's and All Abilities championships. Those who played Victoria Golf Club in round one will play Kingston Heath Golf Club in round two, and visa versa.
In the women's event its another home favourite flying the flag, Australia's Grace Kim carded a course-record 66 at Kingston Heath Golf Club to sit at seven under, two ahead of compatriot Hannah Green and South Korea's Jiyai Shin.
