Peter Spearman-Burn began his bid to become the first person to win all three major national strokeplay titles in the same year with a bogey yesterday.
But the 19-year-old Wellingtonian quickly put it behind him and rattled in five birdies for a four-under-par 66 and the first round lead at
Titirangi.
Across town at Remuera, 17-year-old Zoe Brake from Whakatane had an early birdie and then struck gold with a five-birdie bonanza from the ninth hole. She dropped a shot on the way in for a 68 and a one-shot lead over New Zealand team-mate Emily Perry from Lochiel.
Spearman-Burn was one of only seven players to better par in perfect conditions at Titirangi. Bay of Plenty's Ben Taylor (Omokoroa) and Mathew Perry (Hamilton) shot 67, while Scott Johnson (Muriwai), Leonard Morgan (Cambridge), Sam An (Whitford Park) and James Hamilton (Omanu) had 69s.
"I started on the ninth and got plugged in a bunker which cost me a shot," said Spearman-Burn. "But I refocused from there.
"The greens are not that quick but getting the ball on the right tier is important. That and keeping the ball in the fairway off the tee."
The par-three 190m seventh caught out many players with its triple-tiered green. But it was no problem to Spearman-Burn. He rifled a four-iron to two metres and sank the birdie putt.
By contrast, Hamilton teenager Matthew Perry's 67 was roller-coaster ride, almost derailed by a par three. In the field as a last-minute replacement, he had no fewer than seven birdies but also two bogeys and a double-bogey at the 185m 14th, where he found a hazard on the left with his tee shot.
Taylor's 67 was sedate by comparison with five birdies and two bogeys. Defending champion James Betts (Paraparaumu) had a 72 while Aussie Scott Arnold, the world's top-ranked amateur, had an even par 70 with three birdies and three bogeys.
