A stunning round of 13-under par has given Yarrawonga-Mulwala Golf Club a two-shot lead after day one of The Scramble Championship at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club on the Gold Coast.
Making full use of their combined handicap of nine, the Yarrawonga team of PGA Associate Dale Crothers, Fletcher Kelly, Jason Hanson, Lachlan Thompson and Scott Thompson made seven net eagles and eight further birdies for an adjusted total of 22-under par 48.
That gives them a 2.1-shot buffer from Tasmania’s Ulverstone Golf Club (50.1) with Kooindah Waters (50.4), Ballina (50.9), Willunga (51) and Concord (51.1) all well within reach heading into Round 2.
A two-time winner of the PGA Victorian/Tasmanian Associate Championship, Crothers was given the major credit for providing so many birdie opportunities but it was his amateur partners who delivered on the greens.
“I only had three putts for the day, one of which was from off the green so that shows how well these guys putted,” Crothers said.
“We had a good mix off the tee. Got them all done pretty early and from there our iron game was pretty good too.
“It was just a good all round team effort.”
Fletcher Kelly and Scott Thompson were responsible for some of the longer putts holed on Tuesday, Fletcher taking what he learnt in the practice round into the tournament proper.
“I found them pretty good yesterday,” Fletcher said of their Monday reconnaissance mission.
“They were to my liking speed-wise so it wasn’t too much of an adjustment today.
“I had good distance control most of the day and just got lucky with a few of the reads.”
Four teams had the rare feat of recording a nett albatross during their opening rounds.
Ulverstone and Concord both made eagles with a shot at the par-5 first, Bunbury made eagle at the par-5 14th while Willunga made eagle at the par-4 15th with a shot.
Round 2 of The Scramble Championship Final tees off at The Palms Golf Course at Sanctuary Cove at 7:45am Wednesday morning.