Queenstown, New Zealand, March 1: Asian Tour Qualifying school graduate Zach Murray continued his solid form by signing for a seven-under-par 65 at The Hills to seize the outright lead by five shots at the halfway stage of the 100th New Zealand Open on Friday.
The 21-year-old Australian, who held a share of the overnight lead, stormed off the blocks quickly with an eagle-birdie start before adding five more birdies against a bogey to lead on 15-under-par 128 in the NZ$1,250,000 (approx. US$850,000) event.
Overnight co-leader Ryuko Tokimatsu, the highest-ranked Japanese player in the field this week, returned with a two-under-par 69 at Millbrook Resort to take second place at the prestigious event, that is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who lifted his maiden Asian Tour title in Australia a fortnight ago, raised the local hopes after carding a 66 at The Hills. He trails by six shots in third place together with a host of players that included past champions Brad Kennedy and Dimitrios Papadatos of Australia, who posted respective rounds of 63 and 66 respectively at Millbrook Resort.
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin made his first career ace en-route to a 68 at Millbrook Resort to tie in ninth place on 136 with five other players, including compatriot Pavit Tangkamolprasert who matched his Poom’s efforts of the day with a 68 on the same course.
A total of three hole-in-ones were recorded on an eventful day at the New Zealand Open. Poom and Damien Jordan of Australia holed out on the second hole at Millbrook Resort while Natipong Srithong of Thailand aced the 16th hole at The Hills.
A total of 152 professionals and 152 amateurs took part in the event where the first two rounds were alternated between the par-71 course at Millbrook Resort and the par-72 course at The Hills.
The halfway cut was set at three-under-par 140 and a total of 62 players, ranked inside top-60 and ties, will go on to compete in the final two rounds at The Hills.
The top-40 Pro-Am teams will also advance to round three of the Pro-Am championship at The Hills.
Ends.
Did you know?
- Zach Murray of Australia secured his 2019 Asian Tour card at the Qualifying School last December after finishing fourth in the 90-hole event.
- Murray won the Nexus Risk TSA Group WA Open (an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia) as an amateur golfer in October 2018. One month later, he made his professional debut at the Australian Open.
- Murray was ranked as high as 19th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
- Murray marked his lowest round yet as a professional with his opening 63 in what was only his third start on the Asian Tour.
- Murray hails from Victoria, Australia. He is in Queenstown this week for the first time.
- Ryuko Tokimatsu is the highest-ranked Japanese in the field this week. He sits in 127th place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
- The 25-year-old Tokimatsu is a one-time winner on both the Japan Golf Tour and the Japan Challenge Tour.
- Pavit Tangkamolprasert of Thailand enjoyed a tied-29th place finish in his New Zealand Open debut last year. He holds a total of six victories on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), where he was crowned the Order of Merit champion in 2014.
- The 29-year-old Thai claimed his Asian Tour breakthrough at the Macao Open in 2016.
- Poom Saksansin of Thailand made his first career ace on the second hole at Millbrook Resort with a nine-iron from 139 metres. His ace would be the third and last hole-in-one recorded during the second round of the New Zealand Open.
- Australian Damien Jordan had holed out on the same hole with his pitching wedge while Poom’s countryman, Natipong Srithong, also recorded his first career ace on the 16th hole at The Hills with a seven-iron from 174 metres.
Ends.
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