KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY- At last, New Zealand golfers Mark Brown and David Smail can forget the Guatemala jokes.
A fortnight after New Zealand's top-ranked pair finished an inglorious 22nd equal of 26 at the World Cup event in China, they were back at the right end of the leaderboard on day one of the Australian Open.
Each shot opening rounds of five-under-par 67 on a damp, calm morning at Royal Sydney, to be equal third, two strokes behind Australian co-leaders Matthew Goggin and Stephen Dartnall.
And to round off a good day for the New Zealanders, 18-year-old US Amateur champion Danny Lee stormed home with a four-under 68 to be in contention after birdies on three of his last five holes.
Brown quipped the flying start was a big relief.
"We tied with Guatemala at the World Cup so we had a lot of form coming in. We were the butt of a few jokes."
He had reason to smile after some lean recent weeks on the European and Asian Tours, following his breakthrough victory in the US$2.5 million ($4.65 million) Johnnie Walker Classic in India in March.
The Wellingtonian teed off in steady drizzle and struggled early, bogeying the par-four fourth, before he mirrored Lee's finish with three birdies in his last five.
There could have been more, with Brown's putt for an eagle three on the 16th stopping agonisingly short, while his long birdie attempt on the tough par-three 17th just slid by.
"I'm delighted, I couldn't have scored any lower than that," Brown told NZPA.
"I putted fantastic and chipped beautifully. I can't complain because I missed plenty of greens on the first nine and scrambled pretty well."
Brown, ranked 106th in the world, hoped his fast finish would carry on to the weekend as he looked to maintain top spot on the Australasian Tour moneylist, which he held by A$80,000 over Australian PGA champion Rod Pampling who also shot five-under today.
A top-two finish on the Australasian order of merit would earn Brown direct entry into next year's British Open, and possibly the US Open.
The 99th-ranked Smail admitted surprise at his round despite an encouraging second in the Nippon Series JT Cup tournament last weekend which lifted him to 20th on the Japan Tour's moneylist with earnings of 57 million yen ($1.15 million).
"We couldn't quite put it together at the World Cup, maybe the course didn't suit us. It was nice to see Brownie up there and it kept pushing me along," Smail said.
"The greens were good and I holed most of the putts that I thought I should. I putted well, I'm really happy."
Smail drove accurately and set the pace this morning. His only blemish, a bogey on the 17th, handed Brown the outright lead before Smail redressed it with a wedge to six feet for birdie at the last.
Lee continued his excellent 2008 and stamped his claims for leading amateur as he looked certain to make his fourth cut from just five professional tournaments.
He began with a rush with back-to-back birdies, but also had three bogeys in his first 11 holes.
"The first nine holes I wasn't hitting it that well, especially my driving was really bad," Lee said.
"I made good up and downs from in the trees, then the last five holes I played great, made great pars and great birdies and I'm pretty happy with four-under."
Gareth Paddison was the only other of the 12-strong Kiwi contingent to shoot red numbers, a two-under 70. Fewer than 50 in the 156-strong field broke par.
- NZPA
