Newly crowned Australian Amateur champion Jazy Roberts defied a day of less-than-stellar ball-striking to lead the Aussie charge on day one of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship in New Zealand.
Royal Wellington Golf Club was bathed in glorious sunshine on Thursday, with barely a breath of the wind the city is synonymous for. However, these idyllic conditions are not expected to continue as the championship builds to its conclusion over the next three days.
The second of the six Aussies to tee off on Thursday morning, Roberts took full advantage, making birdies at each of her opening two holes to post 4-under 68, three clear of South Australian Raegan Denton (71) and Queenslander Grace Rho (71).
The 21-year-old from Bendigo will start day two four strokes off the lead and in a tie for fourth; Korean Yunseo Yang storming home with a back nine of 6-under 30 to lead the way at 8-under par.
Roberts gave herself just the one day off after winning her first Australian Amateur title at The West Australian Golf Club last Friday; a run of four birdies in five holes around the turn providing a solid foundation from which to build on.
“I wouldn’t say I was hitting it the best today,” said Roberts, who was tied fourth in this championship 12 months ago in Vietnam.
“Struggled a fair bit, but managed to roll in a few putts to make some birdies.
“I was just trying to hit it to the middle of the green, and if I didn’t hit it great, which was happening a little bit, hopefully still end up on the green and then hope for two putts and then be happy with pars.”
At a career high of 48th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking on the back of last week’s commanding win in Perth, Roberts knows there is much ahead of her if she is to become Australia’s first Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific champion.
“I mean, I played pretty well last year. I was very happy with how I went,” said Roberts of her third appearance in the championship.
“I think I know that you can play good on the first day, but you’ve still got three more days to go.
“You just have to keep being aggressive and kind of take your opportunities when you have them.”
Victorious at the Master of the Amateurs in January, Denton was 3-under on her round after birdies at 18, one and three, but found the water at the par-5 fourth and dropped a shot at the par-4 ninth to sit seven strokes off the lead.
“I definitely left a couple out there,” said Denton.
“Driver was a bit off, but it wasn’t putting me in too much trouble.
“I wasn’t quite putting it on the right part of the green, so I had a lot of two-putts for par. But I took advantage of most of the birdie opportunities I gave myself, which was really good.
“Really happy with my putting, so definitely still feeling pretty confident for the next few days.”
A winner over fellow teammate this week Shyla Singh in the final of the NSW Amateur last year, Rho shapes as something of a surprise packet.
The 19-year-old has the benefit of having fellow Royal Queensland Golf Club member and Wellington native Oli Newman on the bag this week; the pair piloting their way to four birdies and three bogeys in Round 1.
“Since he knew the course well, he kind of knew where all the slopes were; kind of telling me a good number,” said Rho, who escaped with just a bogey at the par-4 17th thanks to a superb third shot from the fairway bunker after she was forced to chip out from underneath the trees.
“Most of the time I was telling him what I think was the right number and he’d be like, ‘Yeah, no.’ But he was right most of the time.”
Out in 1-over, Gold Coaster Singh birdied the par-4 17th to post 73, Newcastle’s Ella Scaysbrook birdied her final hole to shoot 74, while Rachel Lee’s 7-over 79 was soured by a quadruple-bogey eight at the par-4 12th.
Live coverage of Round 2 starts at 11am AEDT Friday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports with the final round live on Sunday from 9:30am-12pm AEDT.
