Yeo co-leader at NZ PGA Championship
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Young New Zealander Sungjin Yeo and West Australian Curtis Luck lead after 18 holes at the NZ PGA Championship.
Both carded three-under 67s in the opening round at the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club, north of Wellington, on Thursday, to lead a pair of Victorians Todd Sinnott and Zach Murray by one stroke.
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Yeo arrived on the back of a Korea academy training camp in Thailand and with few good memories to call upon at the Kapiti venue.
Formerly based in Auckland and runner-up in this championship three years ago at Gulf Harbour, Yeo was thrilled to finally post a score on one of New Zealand’s most revered layouts.
“I love the course, but I’ve never actually played really good on this course. This is my first time playing well at this course,” said Yeo.
“Today I started with a three-putt on the first hole of the day, the 10th, after that I went no bogeys, four birdies. It was a really good round today.”
Luck defied a limited preparation and a late arrival at one of NZ’s most exacting courses, making six birdies and three bogeys.
Twenty-four years since last hosting a major golf tournament, the course leant on a hefty north-westerly wind and an afternoon blanketed in rainfall to prevent all but 10 players from breaking par.
Luck was among the many players caught up in the travel chaos that enveloped Wellington on Sunday and Monday, only flying into the Kiwi capital at midnight Tuesday and then taking an Uber to Paraparaumu Beach on Wednesday morning to play the pro-am for his lone look at the iconic course.
“It’s probably not the best golf course to under-prepare on,” admitted Luck, who has finished top-10 in five of his seven starts this season.
“There are some that you can get away with. This one, I think most of the players, but potentially for me, I’ll be learning it until Sunday. There’s so much going on. It’s so intricate.”
Sinnott and Murray share third after both shot two-under 68s, Sinnott making three birdies on the trot to close out his round while Murray made up almost two shots on the field with a birdie at the par-three fifth.
With experience playing in the US, Europe and throughout Asia, Sinnott is relishing the chance to play a golf course that demands excellence from every facet of your game.
“We’re pretty lucky to be playing a tournament here,” said Sinnott, who hit 8-iron to 10 feet at 16, holed a 10-footer for birdie on 17 and got up-and-down from the bunker to make birdie on 18. “Greens are perfect. They’re quick; probably as good as poa annua gets."
Only one player in the afternoon groups managed to break par, South Australian Lachlan Barker posting one-under 69. American Chase Koepka, New South Welshman Jye Pickin and Queensland’s James Mee each shot even-par 70.
“I think I played my last 11 holes when it was pretty brutal out there in one-over-par, so I’ll take that,” said Koepka.
“Playing links golf, you kind of expect when it gets tough, it gets extremely hard. I can’t imagine there’s too many scores at even or better this afternoon right now. I think it did a good job in these tough conditions."
