Four Set Pace at Australian Masters


On a blustery, wild-weather day in Melbourne, four players carded 5-under 67s to share the 18-hole lead at the Australian Masters. The PGA Tour of Australasia event began Thursday at Metropolitan Golf Club.

Tied atop the leaderboard is an all-Aussie contingent of professionals Michael Wright, Stephen Allan and Steven Bowditch, and amateur Todd Sinnott.

Bowditch, a 31-year-old PGA Tour regular who won the Valero Texas Open in March, was sailing along with four birdies and an eagle - on the par-5 sixth - before dropping his only shot of the day on the par-4 18th. "I don't know what I did on 18," Bowditch told reporters after a round that involved high winds in the morning and light rains in the afternoon.

"It was tough off and on . . . It got really windy early, then slowed down, windy (again), changed direction. It can get tough out there."

Playing at his home club, the 22-year-old Sinnott - a member of the Golf Australia team -posted six birdies and a bogey. He played in the same group as Bowditch and American Boo Weekley.

Sinnott said he felt as if he'd played "like a professional," adding, "I don't play like I used to. My coach (and caddie) Marty (Joyce) and I have been working on playing to position like the pros do . . . rather than just blaze away," said Sinnott, who's making his second start at the Australian Masters.

"I don't feel as if I'm playing like an amateur, more like a professional-amateur, if that makes sense . . . just making less mistakes than I used to. Sharing the lead tomorrow won't worry me. I'll just go home, have dinner, go to bed and do it all again tomorrow - the leaderboard won't worry me. I stayed pretty patient and played a solid round with nothing that really stood out, just getting it around."

Sinnott is known for his long drives. Consider Bowditch impressed with the youngster's power. "I'm not long at all compared to this kid. I haven't seen someone hit it like that in a long time," said Bowditch, who would know after playing alongside such belters as Bubba Watson and others on the PGA Tour.

"He's an impressive player. There's a lot of young kids out there . . . who hit it a mile, but struggle to control their golf ball. But (Sinnott) didn't - he's going to go places."

One stroke behind the co-leaders are another two Aussies - Rhein Gibson and Aron Price, while trailing by two shots are Australians Josh Geary, Geoff Ogilvy, Peter Lonard and James Marchesani, and American Kyle Stanley.

Weekley opened with an even-par 72 and two-time defending champion Adam Scott had a 73. Scott, like many others in the field, had difficulties adapting to the changing weather on Thursday.

"If the conditions are the same (tomorrow), just everyone's out there just hanging on doing the best they can," said Scott, the No. 2-ranked player in the world and the 2013 Masters champion at Augusta National. "There's no way to attack (the pins) in this wind."

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.pga.org.au/tourns/pga-tour/event/leaderboard?season=2014&tour=pga&id=1075#holes1-9-009048.