SYDNEY - The Canon Challenge is fast earning the reputation as Paul Gow's personal golf tournament after the defending champion shot a record-breaking opening round of 60 at the Castle Hill Country Club in Sydney yesterday.
The Sydneysider, whose home is nearby, came within inches of a golfer's fantasy round, a
59, when a 14ft birdie putt trickled past on the ninth and final hole after he began play on the back nine.
He settled for a 12-under 60, the best round in Australasian Tour history and a five-stroke lead in the tournament he won on the same course last year with a final tally of 16 under.
Second-placed Stephen Leaney, of Western Australia, equalled the old course record of 65, but still finds himself well off the pace.
The previous best score on the Tour was 61 from Victorian Mike Harwood in the 1993 Australian PGA Championship at Concord, Sydney.
Gow's sizzling iron play matched the weather which neared 40 deg for much of the day.
He missed just one green in regulation on his way to 10 birdies and an eagle.
His putting was solid with nothing sunk from more than 10ft, but everything nailed from inside that distance.
"It's great, I didn't really miss a shot all day," Gow said.
His score was under the personal best of 62 he shot in last season's New Zealand Open at Paraparaumu which had bettered the old course record held by Bob Charles.
Leaney was one shot clear of German Thomas Gogele, American Jim Benepe, Victorian Tony Mills and Queenslander Kenny Druce, who all shot six-under 66s.
The best of the 11 New Zealand golfers were Paul Devenport and Mark Brown who carded four-under 68s to be in a tie for ninth and one shot ahead of David Smail and Marcus Wheelhouse.
They found the heat and the flies a nuisance, but were satisfied with their scores and stunned at Gow's performance.
On 71 were Michael Long, Richard Lee and Matthew Lane. Steve Alker and Saali Herewini recorded 72s, Les Miller 73 and Carl Brooking 75.
- NZPA
