Round 1 Rebel Sport New Zealand Masters
After the 1st round of the Rebel New Zealand Open I have shot a score of 73 (+2) to be T27th. 12 greens 30 putts. Awesome day for golf with the weather. Could not of had it better for the afternoon field.
4m birdie was dropped on the 1st and 7m on the 2nd having a hot start to the tournament. A momentum killer bogey came at the 4th not making up and down on a par 5 from 3m. 7m putt from off the green birdie was holed at 6 to get back to 2 under. A great chance from 4m on 8 for birdie missed by mm. From the fairway at 9 I hit my worst shot of the day so far. Trying to hit a fade shape, shaping it to far to the right and short sighting myself making bogey.
On the 10th from the fairway I hit the ball to 5m right to left missing low left. Good chance missed. Trying to play safe at 11 I pull hooked a 9iron to 5m and holed the putt to go back to 2 under. At 12 I missed the green from the fairway and putted it from off the green to 1.5m missing the putt from under the hole.
Heading into the back to back par 5’s 13 and 14 the toughest par 5’s I have ever played in my life. I made a 3 putt bogey and on 14 a poor tee shot into the hazard with 3iron although I chipped out and still had a shot at the green for regulation with a 4 iron and finished 45m long of the flag not making up and down, bogey. 15 a 4m putt missed for birdie. 16 in the fairway I went for the pin with my 52 degrees and came up short right on the line I needed plugging in the bunker making bogey. Green in reg at 17 2 putt par and made a sandy at the last for par green side.
The course this week is challenging and makes you play your shots very defensively. I felt like I was striking the ball the way I wanted and may have taken to much on into the greens for my approach instead of playing a touch wider away from the flags and having a putt. Still not out of it by any means. 4 back from top 5 and 7 from the leaders. Plenty of time still to crawl my way up the leaderboard with what this course could do just in one shot to a player.
