Harrison Crowe dominated the Remarkables Course at Millbrook Golf Resort with an impressive nine-under-par 62, securing the first-round lead in the New Zealand Open. The Australian golfer leads his compatriot James Marchesani by one stroke, who scored a 63. Australians Kevin Yuan and Lucas Herbert, along with South Korea's Guntaek Koh, are tied for third with scores of 64, all playing on the Coronet Course.
Crowe's round featured nine birdies and an eagle, marred only by a double-bogey on the 13th hole after his tee shot went out of bounds. Despite winning the NSW Open as an amateur in 2022, Crowe is still seeking his first professional victory. He credited his success to having "a lot of things going my way" and maintaining momentum with his putter after the mistake.
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Lucas Herbert, a LIV Golf star, expressed satisfaction with his new putter, though he missed a short putt on his final hole. He noted that while his putting wasn't exceptional, it was a good start to what promises to be a low-scoring tournament.
Other notable performances included Travis Smyth, Kazuki Higa, and Bai Zhengkai, who all shot 65s to tie for sixth. The leading New Zealanders, Josh Geary and Michael Hendry, are tied for ninth with scores of 66. The event is co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour, with a prize pool of NZ$2 million.