Tabuena and Kemmer shoot 64s to lead at Black Mountain
Filipino Miguel Tabuena and Dodge Kemmer from the United States enjoyed a brilliant start to the International Series Thailand today carding eight-under-par 64s to take the lead on day one.
The duo lead from Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Jazz Janewattananond who fired 65s at Black Mountain Golf Club, in Hua Hin.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, American Turk Pettit, Andrew Dodt from Australia, Korean Bio Kim and Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, Danthai Boonma, Ekpharit Wu, and Settee Prakongvech, all came in with 66s.
The US$2 million event is the fifth event of the season on the Asian Tour, and third International Series tournament.
Last year Tabuena endured an uncharacteristically poor season and only just retained his Tour card. The top 70 on the Asian Tour Order of Merit kept their cards and Tabuena finished 70th, exactly US$71.89 ahead of none other than Kemmer, in 71st position.
Dodge Kemmer came back in six-under-par 30. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
But he has returned with a vengeance this year and finished in the top 15 in his last two events on Tour, the International Series tournaments in Oman and Qatar.
“It is a bit of a long story, I didn’t play too well last year,” said the 28 year old.
“I had some time off, but I was lucky enough to keep my card by about 50 dollars, I was the last person to get in, and I told myself that is never going to happen again.
“I worked really hard during the off season, and I guess it is showing a bit. I finished 13th in Oman and top 10 in Qatar. The game has been there, even back home. I am just glad it’s coming together.”
He made four birdies on each nine including one on the final hole.
He added: “The course is pretty gettable in the morning. I was lucky enough to get off to a hot start. I was four under after six. I actually left a couple of putts out there, mis-read two of them. I was lucky enough to finish with a birdie on the last. Can’t complain shooting 64.”
The Filipino’s fine round could not have come at a better time as he was watched all the way by his family.
“My whole family is here, finally, it has been a few years. It’s just been my wife for the past couple of tournaments, but I am very, very grateful to have my dad here, my mum, brother and sister,” said Tabuena, who last victory came in 2018 at the Queen’s Cup, also here in Thailand.
Kemmer made up for not keeping his card via the Merit list by earning it through a top 10 finish on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit.
“Kind of a slow start, got a lot of chances and took a while to figure out the greens,” said Kemmer, who played the back nine in six-under-par 30 which included a three putt on 18 for a par.
“I turned in two under and then started hitting my wedges pretty close, a bunch of them within four or five feet, that took some of the guess work out of the greens.
“I will try and do better tomorrow, keep swinging aggressively and maybe learn a little bit more about the greens and make even more putts.”
The American’s good season on the ADT was highlighted by victory in the Gurugram Classic in India in April.
He added: “I had great season on ADT, won once with a bunch of top fives, never quite got it going on the Asian Tour. So I knew it was in there, been hitting it nicely this year. Great to get off to a good start.”
Kiradech Aphibarnrat missed a 20 foot eagle putt on the last. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
As expected Kiradech, looking for his first win in five years, has made a strong start.
“Opening round, one stroke behind, seven under, always great to start that way,” said Kiradech, who missed a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-five 18th having hit a brilliant second shot using his three wood 300 yards.
“I am striking the ball much better. I am working with my new trainer, my swing coach Mike Walker, I think we are working it the right way. I just need one good week to get everything together. And hopefully my body is strong enough to play these next four days. I have played with an injury a lot over the past three years, hurt my right knee, my left hip, it just popped up.”
ENDS
Andy Ogletree, current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM), has offered a glimpse of the mindset that has allowed him to finally fulfil his potential in the professional game with two International Series victories.
After an exceptional amateur career, the American struggled after turning professional in 2020, partly through injury and a lack of playing opportunities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he remained undaunted about the task at hand.
“There wasn’t outside pressure, I just have high expectations for myself,” said Ogletree, who tees-off in the International Series Thailand tomorrow at Black Mountain Golf Club, also leading the International Series OOM.
“I believe I want to be one of the best players in the world, that’s the expectation I have and that’s the standard I set for myself. I don’t think I try to live up to anyone else’s expectations but if I can live up to mine I am doing pretty good.”
Andy Ogletree is playing his first ever tournament in Thailand this week. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
It’s an impressive outlook and one that helped guide him to victory in the International Series Egypt last November, which was his first professional victory, and the International Series Qatar last month. Both were convincing victories: he won the former by four, and the latter by three.
“I am in good form, my confidence is super high right now after Qatar,” adds the 24-year-old Mississippian, a former Georgia Tech college golf star who reached the pinnacle of the amateur game in 2019 when he won the US Amateur, and that same year was part of the victorious United States team at the Walker Cup.
“The goal is to win every week. I wouldn’t come here unless I had a chance to do that.”
It was in August last year that he feels the signs were there that a first victory was not far off.
“I had been playing well for a while, but I was still getting into tournament form. I had taken a few months off due to some injuries after LIV and then I made the cut in Singapore in August and had a chance to win the week after on the back nine in Korea, so I knew after Korea my golf game was getting to a point where I was contending and had chances to win.”
His two victories have been complemented by two other top 10s this year helping to start a season on the Asian Tour that could potentially be life changing, although once again and despite this he remains level headed.
Adds the American: “I wouldn’t say my life has changed at all, still wake up and do the same thing. I am just playing a lot better golf.”
Former Asian Tour number one Kiradech Aphibarnrat feels this week’s International Series Thailand, at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, could help to re-ignite his career with everything working in his favour.
Without a win in five years, he is hoping that competing on home soil, at a venue where he has won before, surrounded by family and friends, and on the Tour where it all began for him, will provide the much-needed inspiration he is looking for.
“This week is very special,” said the 33 year old.
“Playing in front of my family, all my fans coming over to support, being with my friends on tour – I really want to win this week. I’m going to try as hard as I can to get the job done.
“I feel this week is quite important. It might be a key to bringing me back to where I belong, help build my confidence. I don’t think I’m far off my A game. This title might be a big turning point.”
Kiradech Aphibarnrat is in search of his first win in five years. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Winning became a habit for Kiradech after he turned professional in 2008 – he has triumphed three times on the Asian Tour and four on the DP World Tour – and in 2018 he became the first player from his country to secure a card on the PGA Tour.
However, his career has stalled since then with his last victory on one of the game’s main Tour’s coming at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth in 2018, an event co-sanctioned by Asia, Australasia and Europe.
He adds: “This Tour is where I belong. I’ve played international golf events worldwide, but I started in Asia. Every time I come back, even when not on my A game I find it more comfortable playing here.
“I have a lot of good friends here in the field – I feel like I’m back home and I enjoy playing. The Asian Tour staff too – I’m like a kid when I come back to this tour – we’re all family and friends.”
Kiradech is also a fan of Black Mountain, where he won the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation event in 2015 on the Asian Development Tour: “I have played Black Mountain twice in events – I think I finished one shot off a playoff in one, so top three, and the other I won. So, that’s a good record. The holes at Black Mountain really suits my eye and I think I know this golf course well enough to play around here.”
It was 10 years ago that he won the Asian Tour Order of Merit – the year he claimed the Maybank Malaysian Open, while his first victory on the Asian Tour came at the Sail Open in India in 2011.
One of the friends he is particularly happy to be hanging out with here is fellow Tour star Prom Meesawat, whose hometown is Hua Hin.
“We shared a room at the International Series Morocco and he wasn’t quite happy with his game but he said to me: ‘You know, bro, this is my best week of the year. It’s my happiest week,” said Kiradech, who finished tied for fifth in Morocco last November in what was his first International Series event.
The Thai star won at Black Mountain in 2015. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Prom and I grew up together. Same coach, same schools but we hadn’t spent a lot of time together. To do so was fantastic. Neither of us had our A games but we understand each other quite well and push each other the whole time. We don’t want to let each other down.
“We spend a lot of time together, sharing rooms, eating together, etc. – that’s when I feel happiest.”
And while the Thai star still has ambitions to succeed on the world stage, being successful on the Asian Tour has once again become a priority.
“I changed my mind around, I want to come back to Asia and play where I feel comfortable. I want to build up my confidence and talent – that’s what I am looking forward to,” he said.
“Although my schedule isn’t set for the year, I will try to play as much Asian Tour as I can.”
He also acknowledges the need for Asian Tour members to travel and embrace The International Series philosophy to play globally.
“The more players can get experience the better. You need to experience different types of conditions, different types of grass and different types of weather,” said Kiradech.
“Everything can change, and you see a lot of Asian Tour players playing Majors and big events but with little success because we only play once or twice a year. We don’t get used to the grass or the cold weather.
“It’s definitely a good way to build a golfer to play at the highest level in the world.”
Australian Brendan Jones drew upon his wealth of experience to edge ahead of a packed leaderboard and win the 102nd New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT today at Millbrook Resort, in Queenstown.
The 49 year old, a 15-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, shot a closing five-under-par 66, to finish on 18 under and win by three from Australian John Lyras (64), New Zealand’s Ben Campbell (66), Korea’s Jaewoong Eom (67) and Tomoyo Ikemura (68) from Japan.
Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul (69) was one of six players to finish one stroke back in a tie for sixth.
It is Jones’ first victory in four years and marked the first time he has triumphed on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, despite a glittering 24-year professional career.
“This is just incredible. I’ve been supporting this event for many years and I’ve always said to myself as long as my bum is pointing to the ground, I’ll never win it,” said Jones.
“I don’t know what to think. When you are out there playing you aren’t thinking about winning, you are just thinking about playing. I hit a lot of good shots through the middle of the round, made some clutch par saves on a few of the holes coming in.”
Brendan Jones. (Picture by photosport.nz).
Jones said he hit “the two best shots of my life” to make vital birdies down the stretch.
Red hot golf was the order of the day despite the surrounding snow-capped peaks that are such an imposing feature in Queenstown.
Multiple players, including Jones, were tied on 15 under over the closing holes but he pulled one ahead with a birdie on 14, went two in front after another gain on the following hole, before opening-up a three-shot lead that would remain with a bird on the 17th.
He had a minor scare on 17, a par five, when he blocked his second shot right, but his ball kicked off a bank and landed safely in a green side bunker, from where he splashed out to four feet.
Jones started the final round four behind overnight leader Shae Wools-Cobb from Australia and played in the penultimate group. Wools-Cobb struggled on the final day carding a 78 to finish equal 26th.
Asian Tour regular Campbell, whose home club is Millbrook Resort and who was part of a dramatic play-off here before finishing runner-up to countryman Michael Hendry in 2017, was in the hunt but stumbled with a double-bogey on the 15th before birdies on the next two holes.
“I really wanted to shoot eight under today. I thought if I got to 18 under it would be a good score. I just had that in mind – Jonesy is a very good finisher and you know he isn’t going to go backwards too fast. Whether I pushed a little too hard – it is what it is,” he said.
Lyras and Eom are both graduates from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School and have made the ideal start to their season while for Gunn it was yet another fine week after his second-place finish in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago
The Thai star missed birdie opportunities on 16 and 18 and an eagle chance on 17.
“It’s been an incredible week. To follow up my second place finish in Qatar with a top finish here validates I am going in the right direction,” said Gunn, who was one of 33 Asian Tour members to make the cut this week, in an event joint-sanctioned by Asia and Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
Gunn Charoenkul. (Picture by photosport.nz).
“And it’s good to be heading home for the International Series Thailand in good form with an opportunity to do well there.”
The Asian Tour heads to the International Series Thailand next week. The US$2 million event is being played at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin and is the third International Series event of the season, and the fifth stop on the Asian Tour.
Teenager Chen Guxin may not have had the finish he was hoping for in the final round of the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT today, but the Chinese golfer once again showed that he is a player to be on the lookout for.
Chen closed with a four-over-par 75 on the Coronet Course at Millbrook Resort having impressed in the earlier rounds shooting 67 and 68, before a 73.
Remarkably, he played the first round with a set of borrowed clubs, as his didn’t arrive until late Thursday, and at the halfway mark he was tied for 12th.
“Not having my own clubs on the first day, I think it made me concentrate more,” said the 19 year old, from Hainan Island in China.
“Today I just hit too many bad shots but those first two rounds were some of my best at this level.”
Considering it is his first time playing in New Zealand it is a commendable performance for a player who rose to prominence on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year with two victories that helped him into fifth place on the ADT Order of Merit.
He secured his Asian Tour card because of that as the top-10 on the Merit list earn playing privileges for the main tour.
Because of strict travel restrictions in China due to the pandemic Chen has not been home in over a year.
He said: “I have been mainly staying in Thailand and Indonesia as they have visa on arrival.”
The promising young player will compete in the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain next week and may head home to Hainan after that.
His victory in the first of those ADT wins last year, the Blue Canyon Classic on Phuket Island, in Thailand, meant he became the first player from China to win on the ADT.
“I had an amazing year playing that Tour, my goal was to get my Asian Tour card, and I was so happy to do that and be here now,” he said.
He second win came at the BRG Open Golf Championship in Vietnam, allowed him to add the two ADT wins to the two events he claimed on the China Tour the year before.
“I am looking forward to playing the International Series Thailand, I was a reserve last year and played some practice rounds but didn’t get in. I am playing well and will try and play all four rounds next week well, not just two like this week,” said Chen.
He finished New Zealand’s national Open two under, some distance from the top of the leaderboard but he showed enough quality to suggest trips to this part of the world in the future will be more successful.
Gunn Charoenkul gave himself a chance of winning the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT when he carded a four-under-par 67 in today’s third round to sit five shots behind the leader, Shae Wools-Cobb from Australia.
In-form Gunn, second in the previous Asian Tour event, the International Series Qatar, flirted with the lead early on when he birdied his first three holes, slipped back with a couple of bogeys around the turn but then finished strongly with birdies on 12, 14 and 15 birdies before a disappointing three-putt bogey on the par-three 18th on the Coronet Course.
Wools-Cobb fired a 65, and is on 17 under, while Australian Christopher Wood is in second, two behind after a 68.
Gunn had looked set to finish closer to the leader, but an excellent tee shot on the last trickled over the back from where he took three to get up and down.
Gunn Charoenkul and Tom Power Horan during day three. (Picture by Michael Thomas/www.photosport.nz).
He said: “Pity to drop a shot on 18. I should have chipped it from off the green as opposed to putting. I was actually more embarrassed after when I tried to throw my ball to the crowd, but it landed a yard short!”
Despite a fine week’s work so far in the fourth Asian Tour event of the season the 30 year old is still battling the gremlins.
“Again, I wasn’t at my best. Still blocking my driver right, which I have been doing since Qatar. Couldn’t find my rhythm as there was a lot of stopping and starting,” he said.
“But, yes, it’s great to be in contention, although I have not looked at how far behind I am.
“I just need to stick to my process. I will know over the first few holes tomorrow how it will go. If I get my driver under control, then there is a chance.”
At the start of this week Gunn revealed he had considered quitting last year because of an injury beset three years but following his fine showing in Qatar, his best finish on the Asian Tour in three years, he is a player reborn.
Shae Wools-Cobb. (Picture by Michael Thomas / www.photosport.nz).
No Asian player has won the New Zealand Open in its 102-year history, so he will try and correct that on Sunday, as will Japan’s Terumichi Kakazu after he carded a 66 to move into solo third, three behind Wools-Cobb.
And 10-time Asian Tour winner Scott Hend from Australia will also fancy his chances after shooting a 68 to tie for fourth a further stroke back.
Wools-Cobb, 27, has a best of three top-five finishes in the past two seasons on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, who are joint-sanctioning this week’s event, and will be looking to significantly improve on that record tomorrow.
“I’m in a pretty good head-space at the moment,” said Wools-Cobb.
“I’ve really been working on pre-shot routine, trying to stick to that. That got me through today. When I wasn’t feeling too good over a few shots it really got me through.”
Kiwi amateur and crowd favourite Kazuma Kobori came in with a 68 and is tied with Gunn on 12 under, along with Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura, in with a 66.
Asian Tour Qualifying School graduate Jaewoong Eom from Korea is joint 10th on 11-under.
Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore has announced that it has become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club, delivering on a commitment made during golf’s HSBC Women’s World Championship in 2021.
As part of its sustainability commitment, and to complement ongoing carbon abatement efforts identified during its carbon profiling, the Club has offset 5,000 tonnes of CO2, the annual equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from 12.4m miles driven by an average petrol-powered car and CO2 emissions from 630 homes’ energy usage.
Since April 2021, the Club has with the support of its members set aside $1 from every round of golf to procure high quality carbon credits from the Katingan Mentaya Project (Indonesia) and Cordillera Azul National Park (Peru).
The Cordillera Azul National Park project helps restore degraded forestry, preventing 25.2 million tonnes of carbon being released into the atmosphere to date, as well as supporting 665 jobs in the local community, 40% of which are held by women; whilst the Katingan Mentaya Project protects more than 150,000 hectares of peat swamp forest, generating 7.5 million carbon credits; its impact is equivalent to removing two million cars off the road each year.
Following on from its initial pledge, Sentosa Golf Club’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality formed part of its commitment to the UN Sports for Climate Action Race to Zero initiative, as well as the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network, with a number of steps taken to compensate its carbon footprint, all under the umbrella of its sustainability campaign, GAME ON.
The Club was also the first in Asia to introduce carbon products in the form of Biochar into their agronomy programme to help remove more carbon from the atmosphere.
Other initiatives, pioneered over a decade of work, were identified to help with the reduction of scope 1-3 carbon , including a state-of-the-art irrigation system and agronomy equipment that creates efficiencies and minimises product wastage seen by over fertilisation and watering.
The introduction of an all-electric golf cart fleet powered with lithium batteries, car charging stations and waste digesters, also helps to grind down food and horticultural waste to reuse as fertiliser on the golf course.
Further initiatives were also introduced to increase energy efficiency, resulting in the Clubhouse being awarded the Green Mark Certification.
These complement other on-course efforts that saved over 300 different species of trees during the redevelopment of the Club’s Tanjong course, and the introduction of stingless bee colonies on-site that thrive in an ecosystem alongside otters, peacocks, long-tail macaques and other migratory and native birds.
Endangered mangrove species situated in The Serapong Lagoon and heritage sites such as Fort Berhala Reping have also been preserved within the natural landscape of the golf courses.
On achieving the carbon neutrality goal, General Manager and Director of Agronomy, Andrew Johnston highlighted the importance of this historic milestone for the golf industry, saying: “We are proud to see that Sentosa Golf Club has achieved/become the world’s first carbon neutral golf club and are extremely proud of this achievement. Ever since we began to share the importance of our sustainability journey back in 2018, we have always been focused on becoming an industry leader and inspiring others to follow suit by implementing eco-friendly initiatives to help reduce our overall carbon footprint. Hopefully this is just the beginning and more clubs around the world will commit to becoming carbon neutral in the near future.”
Sentosa Golf Club joins others in the sporting world, such as English Football League side, Forest Green Rovers, who became the world’s first carbon neutral football club, with the likes of Formula 1 and World Athletics both making carbon neutral pledges in recent years.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat will add a splash of star quality to next week’s International Series Thailand.
The 33-year-old Thai favourite is a late entry for the US$2 million event at Hua Hin’s Black Mountain Golf Club from March 9-12.
The three-time Asian Tour winner is hoping a return to a familiar venue will enable him to continue his rehabilitation and prove a catalyst to regaining past glories.
Plagued by injury problems for much of the past four years, Kiradech has struggled to reproduce the form that saw him earn his PGA Tour card.
It was five years ago that he rose to 29th in the Official World Golf Ranking. He remained in the top-100 through to the end of 2019, since when his fortunes have waned.
Currently in 325th position, Kiradech is relishing being back in his home continent.
“I love coming back and playing on the Asian Tour whenever possible. I’ve decided that I will play as many tournaments in Asia as possible. It’s good for my confidence, and it is good for my mental well-being,” said Kiradech, who tied for 28th in season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Advisers.
Ahead of the second edition of the International Series Thailand, he has two particularly causes for optimism.
The first is that he played especially well on his International Series debut, finishing in a share of fifth place at the International Series Morocco last November.
He’ll also be encouraged by the fact that he’s got a good track record at Black Mountain, where he’s played on dozens of occasions.
In 2010, two years after he’d turned professional, Kiradech tied for third place in the Black Mountain Masters. Five years later he was joint fourth in the True Thailand Classic Presented by Black Mountain.
The International Series Thailand is the fifth leg of the 2023 Asian Tour season and the third stop for the International Series, following Oman and Qatar.
Australia’s Scott Hend, a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour, moved into a strong position in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT today after shooting a seven-under-par 64 on day two to sit in third place, two behind the leader Christopher Wood.
First-round leader Wood from Australia fired a 69 and is 12 under at Millbrook Resort, while his compatriot Shae Wools-Cobb is one back following a 64.
Jaewoong Eom, a fresh graduate from this year’s Asian Tour Qualifying School, is in a share of fourth, three off top spot after returning a 66 with three other players, that includes Australian John Lyras, another player to make it through the school, who fired a brilliant 62.
Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul, in second place at the start of the day, came in with a 69 and is just four off the lead.
Two courses are being used this week in an event that also has a Pro-Am component with Hend, the 2016 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, on the Remarkables Course, unlike the two players ahead of him who played the Coronet Course.
Christopher Wood. (Picture by Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz).
Hend and Lyras played together in an incredibly low scoring group that saw them both eagle their opening hole the par-five 10th.
Hend then birdied his next three holes, and made the turn in four under, as did Lyras before the latter edged ahead on the second nine, helped by another eagle on five, narrowly failing to match Wood’s opening day course record 61.
“We just enjoyed each other’s company,” said Hend.
“It wasn’t a hassle playing with each other so that leads to, usually, better scoring. And when you’re both scoring at the rate we were, hopefully you can jump on the back of someone else.”
Korea’s Eom played on the Coronet Course and made six birdies and dropped just one shot.
He finished joint 14th at the Qualifying School in January, having won one of the pre-qualifiers, and is making his first start of the year on the Asian Tour.
“My heart is at peace today. I played very well,” said Eom, who added the Pro-Am part has contributed to his great start.
“I was helped by being able to play in a group with my Korean friends,” he said.
“I heard the weather might not be so good tomorrow. I may need to change to a jumper or jacket. It is important for me to rest well tonight. My expectations are not so high, but I will try.”
The Korean is looking for a season that matches his best year so far, which was in 2018 when he won what is to date his only victory on the Korean Tour, the Huons Celebrity Pro-Am, finished fifth in the Australian PGA Championship, and fifth in the Korea Open – his best finish on the Asian Tour.
Gunn, second in the International Series Qatar two weeks ago, was not able to match his bogey free 66 yesterday but birdied 15 and 18 to give him a chance of a first Asian Tour victory at the weekend.
Another Asian Tour player who enjoyed a fine Friday is Chinese teenager Chen Guxin.
The 19 year old, playing on the Asian Tour this season thanks to finishing in the top-10 on last year’s Asian Development (ADT) Tour Order of Merit, carded a 68 and is seven under, in a tie for 12th.
Chen won twice on the ADT and finished fifth on the Merit.
Jaewoong Eom. (Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour).
He became the maiden player from his country to win an ADT event when he tasted victory in the Blue Canyon Classic, before winning the BRG Open Golf Championship – the first time an ADT event had been played in Vietnam.
This week’s event is joint sanctioned with the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
The final two rounds will both be played on the Coronet Course.
Gunn Charoenkul’s revival continued unabated today in the New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT when he shot a six-under-par 65 in the first round to sit in a tie for second, four behind the leader, Australian Christopher Wood.
Despite a misbehaving driver, Gunn put together a flawless bogey-free round on the Remarkables Course at Millbrook Resort making three birdies on each nine.
New Zealand veteran Steve Alker and his compatriot Kit Bittle, Australian Thomas Power Horan, and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji and Tomoyo Ikemura also came in with 65s – in a Pro-Am format event that sees each professional paired with an amateur partner.
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 today 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.
“My iron game was on point though, I put myself within 15 feet on a lot of occasions. I pretty much holed all the putts, so overall I am pretty pleased with my round.”
Christopher Wood. (Picture by photosport.nz)
A 45-foot birdie putt on hole two was his shot of the day, for which he was able thank his amateur partner, Aris Agung Budiman.
He said: “My partner Aris had the same putt, I said I would be a good student and sure enough I holed it!”
In Qatar, the 30 year old heaped praised on his coach Sam Cyr who caddied for him there and there is no doubt he is missing his presence this week.
“My confidence is not as high as Qatar because I don’t have my coach Sam on the bag, like I did there,” said Gunn.
“I did have a lot of doubts out there as I really wasn’t driving it great. I kept telling myself to trust it, because I have just been missing one way, straight right. But I love being here in Queenstown, it’s stunning and you might as well enjoy it whatever happens.”
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, he 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.
Wood, playing in the final pairing on the Remarkables layout, was in inspired form making an eagle and eight birdies for a sensational course-record 61.
“It’s only round one,” said Wood.
“It’s obviously great to get off to a good start so hopefully get out there early in the morning and keep going.
“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.”
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.
“I got a nice solid start, birdied the first couple of holes, so kind of settled down and got into a bit of a groove. I kind of felt like I just left a little bit out there because there wasn’t much wind today and I didn’t get the par fives on my back nine, the front nine,” he said.
Steve Alker. (Picture by Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz)
“Overall the score was good, I just kept my nose clean, I think I had a three putt in there but apart from that it was pretty good.”
New Zealand amateurs Sam Jones, Jayden Ford, and Kazuma Kobori, and Australians Lawry Flynn and Dimitrios Papadatos all came in with 66s.
On day two those who played on the Remarkables today will switch to the Coronet Course, and vice versa.
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