Missing a cut isn’t something Cameron Smith has to think about on the LIV tour where there isn’t one at the 54-hole megabucks events.
But the world No. 3 is facing an anxious Friday afternoon with his Australian Open at risk of being over and his shot at creating his own slice of history gone following a second-straight day of struggles on the sandbelt left him staring at the prospect of his tournament ending early.
After an opening round on Thursday which he called “pretty rubbish” at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne, Smith swapped courses for round two but the story remained largely the same and a last-gasp birdie on his final hole moved him to two-over for the tournament, after a second-straight over-par round of 73, and teetering on the edge of the cutline, with top 60 players and ties to go through, as the afternoon players go out.
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A bogey on his opening hole at Kingston Heath after a 7am tee time then another two dropped Smith outside the top 100 in the tournament, a place he’s not used to being.
Back-to-back birdies to start his back-nine brought hope, before a bogey on the fourth was followed by another on his second-last hole, the par three eighth, instead of the birdies he needed to secure passage to at least Saturday, after which there is a secondary cut.
Smith, who walked off the course in a tie for 81st and would need some implosions from the afternoon groups, with 35 players under par, and the cut line to blow out, to avoid missing his fir cut since the US Open in June, and only his fourth in 17 events in 2022, not including the no-cut events on the LIV tour.
Trying to become the first man since Greg Chalmers in 2011 to win the Australian PGA and Open double, the long-lasting celebrations for Smith’s win his hometown of Brisbane last week, which came after a host of events toasting the British Open champs return home, looked to have taken a toll.
Smith said he was suffering from “delayed tiredness” on Thursday and his Friday output, despite moving to what he hoped would be an easier layout at Kingston heath, failed to help produce the type of golf which propelled him to five wins in 2022.
His opening two rounds included just six birdies, nine bogeys and 21 pars as Smith played the sandbelt for the first time since the 2019 Presidents Cup.
But while Smith battled, US Open champion Minjee Lee took the momentum from a final hole birdie on Thursday in to her second round and began a climb up the leaderboard which could have other players looking nervously over their shoulder.
Lee, the world No. 4, pumped out five birdies after also moving from an opening round at Victoria to Kingston Heath in the first-ever dual-gender national open, with each player playing across the two courses in their first two rounds before the weekend action reverts to Victoria only.
She moved to within two shots of overnight leader Grace Kim, who had an afternoon tee time, with two holes to play.
Kim, who opened with a seven-under 66 at Kingston Heath, was joined at the top of the women’s leaderboard by two-time major winner So Yeon Ryu as she completed her second round.
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FIRST ROUND
Emboldened by new self-belief local lad David Micheluzzi set the Australian Open pace as the superstars failed to sizzle in big-time golf’s return to the Melbourne sandbelt.
The first dual-gender national open is the first major golfing event in Melbourne since 2019 and the massive crowds were an indication of how great the thirst for tournament golf has been.
But headline acts Cameron Smith and Adam Scott finished their respective rounds at Victoria and Kingston Heath flustered and frustrated as the birdies that came for others failed to materialise.
Of the 36 players in the men’s field who shot under par, Lucas Herbert, who struck back late to shoot two-under, was the highest in the world rankings at 57 as Australia’s top two players battled.
“I played really poorly and I putted really well,” Scott said after carding seven birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey in his opening round of one-under 71 at Kingston Heath.
“I mean, it kind of makes up for it, but when you hit it as bad as that in bad spots, it’s hard to have a good score. I don’t know, too many early mornings for me, I think.”
Scott will head to Victoria for his second round needing to make up six shots on Micheluzzi, who equalled the course record with a 63 to lead two players, including fellow Melburnian Matt Griffin, by three shots, with another six a further shot back, with the majority having played their opening rounds at Victoria.
Smith was another two shots back after a penalty on his closing hole ruined his chances of a last-gasp birdie as he signed for a one-over par 71, also at Victoria.
“I mean, it’s not like I don’t know how to play golf. It’s just a bit of a bad day,” Smith said.
“We’ve still got three days and 54 holes is enough to you know, work out our stuff.”
Micheluzzi said local knowledge was key, having played at Victoria “100 times” and Kingston Heath even more, putting him in prime position to build on his lead.
“I know that course better. I’ve just got to do the same thing,” he said.
“Just plod it around. I made putts today, that’s why I shot seven (under). I also hit it pretty good, but just hit it good tomorrow, shoot a decent score and then obviously come into the weekend and hopefully fighting with Cam and all the big boys.
“It’ll be fun.”
Micheluzzi blasted his way to a seven-under 63 to lead the early men’s event, with 21-year-old Grace Kim equalling that feat at Kingston Heath on a morning of low numbers for the women.
Kim, who will join the LPGA Tour in the US in 2023, fired five birdies in her opening five holes to start red hot before posting the best early score of the opening round.
“I wasn‘t expecting it but I’d take it any day. I think I took my chances pretty well. I had lots of good numbers, comfortable numbers for my wedge play,” Kim said.
“I guess to simply put it, I played easy golf.
“I was definitely nervous at the start because I haven‘t played a tournament in over a month now since I’ve been back. And you’re at home, so expectations and pressures are pretty high but I just tried to embrace it all and try to enjoy it.
“I got nervous as the holes went on – I was just like, where are these birdies coming from? “You know, those times where, you know, it just goes in and I had one of those moments, I was bit shocked. I‘m glad I got a good round out of the way, so it’s a good start.”
Scott, playing at Kingston Heath, was all over the shop with seven birdies mixed with four bogeys and even a double as he shot one-under 71, knowing he has work cut out for him as he eyes off a second round at Victoria, where has played once in 20 years.
“Sometimes it‘s easier to just say that’s golf and move on to tomorrow. I really didn’t have good rhythm or control over the golf club and therefore the ball.
“But I did putt well, so you know if I can start swinging it good tomorrow and putts keep going in, then good scores could come.”
Aussie world No. 20 Hannah Green made a birdie on her final hole to get to five-under, having been six-under through her opening 10 holes, to ensure she’ll be in contention for a title she has longed to win.
“I got off to a super hot start so I’m really glad that I was able to get a couple of birdies coming in because I kind of lost it there. But Kingston Heath is a brutal course, so it’s bound to happen. I’m still very pleased with the start,” she said.
“I‘ve definitely missed this. I’m sure everyone has. I think that’s why the crowds are so big. I also think it helps when Adam Scott is playing behind you, but it was great for Thursday morning. I can’t imagine what the weekend will be like, so hopefully everyone comes out and enjoys it.”
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Melbourne lad David Micheluzzi says he’s overcome the “performance anxiety” that haunted him after turning pro, attributing the normality of his mum telling him to “unload the dishwasher” for his rise back up the ranks.
On Thursday, Micheluzzi, 26, shot a course-record equalling seven-under par 63 in a red-hot start to the Australian Open, smoking the morning field with a bogey-free opening round.
The “King of Cranbourne” putted well to shoot eight birdies in a display of his new-found confidence, maintaining strong recent form that included a WA PGA Championship win in October.
“When I turned pro (in 2019), it was scary. Performance anxiety comes out of nowhere. I was worried about what everyone else thought rather than just playing golf,” Micheluzzi said on Thursday.
“I think I’ve played enough pro events now that it’s just another round of golf.
“If I shoot 75, 76, I still go home, Mum (would) tell me to unload the dishwasher, all that kind of stuff, so it just feels like a normal round of golf, which is great.
“But three ago I was so uncomfortable and it showed, the golf was horrendous.”
Thursday’s bogey opening also came after a rocky entrance to the course – the 26-year-old revealed his car’s exhaust pipe was “ripped off” by a speed bump on his way in due to his mates on the back seats weighing it down – but it was the kind of normality he said ultimately helped him feel like he was playing “just another round of golf”.
“I know this course like the back of my hand,” he said.
“I saw a lot of people … I probably shouldn‘t have actually acknowledged them as much because I should be playing golf, but it felt like I was just going into a normal round at Peninsula or Cranbourne, seeing everyone and saying hello, so it kind of felt like it wasn’t a tournament at the same time.”
Micheluzzi also labelled the ranking points system “laughable” after tweeting on Monday lamenting being given just 2.01 points for coming sixth at the DP World Tour event featuring Cam Smith in November.
“I think everyone knows what I think of it,” he said, reluctant to comment further.
In a warning sign to competitors, he added that he knew Kingston Heath – where he will continue his pursuit of the cup on Friday – even better than Victoria.
“I’ve just got to do the same thing. Just hit it good tomorrow, shoot a decent score and then obviously come into the weekend, hopefully flopping with Cam (Smith) and all the big boys.”