Out in one of the early morning groups in cool, breezy conditions at Cobram Barooga Golf Club, Tighe flirted with Tom Power Horan’s course record but left his par putt on the lip on 18 for an eight-under 63, tied with WPGA Tour rookie Kotono Fukaya who birdied her final two holes.

After turning in 3-under, Tighe peeled off five consecutive birdies from the par-5 10th, moving to nine-under on his round with birdie at the 327-metre par-4 17th.

But with the course record at his mercy, Tighe left a downhill putt for 62 agonisingly short, ending Round 1 level with Fukuya and one clear of Jake McLeod (64), Austin Bautista (64), Andrew Martin (64) and Momoka Kobori (64).

Barooga local Steffi Vogel was one of six players to end the first round at six-under par, one of seven WPGA Tour members in the top-18 on the leaderboard.

A top-three finisher three times last season, Tighe downed tools at the completion of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and went to work in the jewellery store that his father, Darryl, has operated in Wollongong for the past 45 years.

It was a stark reminder that playing golf for a living is not all bad.

“It’s quite humbling. You go from inside the ropes at the Australian Open to cleaning windows at your dad’s jewellery shop,” said Tighe.

Not even a closing bogey could dull the enthusiasm of Vogel and her hearty band of Cobram Barooga Golf Club members.

At the course where she plays and practices every day and where her father, Terry, is the Course Superintendent, Vogel arrived at the 18th tee at seven-under par and just one stroke from the lead.

After finding the greenside bunker and receiving a less than favourable lie, Vogel only just missed her par putt, receiving countless hugs from friends and family prior to signing for a six-under 65.

“I’ve always been quite negative about my game and quite intimidated by everyone out here thinking they’re so much better than me,” Vogel admitted.

“To be able to go out there today and have 6-under – even though I bogeyed the last – shows I do somewhat belong in this sort of field and I can do it if I put my mind to it.”