Scott’s erratic start to Australian Open

Darren Walton | December 1, 2022

Adam Scott has made a wild start to the historic mixed-gender Australian Open in Melbourne, making only one par in his first nine holes.

The former world No.1 reached the turn on Thursday morning level with the card after mixing two bogeys and a dreaded double on the par-four 16th hole with four birdies and his lone par on the 18th.

Scott teed off on the 10th at Kingston Heath on Thursday as men and women shared the fairways at a national championship for the first time anywhere in the world.

With a second cut on Saturday set to reduce the two fields to the top-30 players and ties, Scott noted on tournament eve it was imperative to play well over the first three rounds.

But Australia’s only ever Masters champion was already playing catch-up after falling four shots behind early leader Denzel Ieremia, who also hit off on the 10th at Kingston Heath.

Fresh off a top-20 finish at last week’s Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane, Ieremia collected two birdies in his first three holes before surging two strokes clear of the field with a spectacular eagle two on the par-four 15th.

Golf fans can have the best of both worlds on day one after officials split the big guns up into a series of morning and afternoon groups across Kingston Heath and the Victoria Golf Club, which is co-hosting the first Open since before COVID-19 struck in 2019.

Scott was among the men’s big guns out early with fellow PGA Tour star Cam Davis and You Tube sensation Harrison Crowe.

Respective men’s and women’s tournament favourites Cameron Smith and Minjee Lee are among a raft of stars featuring in first-round afternoon action at Victoria, 5km away on Melbourne’s beautiful sandbelt stretch.

Smith will open his bid for a sixth victory of a stellar year, chasing an Australian PGA-Australian Open title double, at 12.05pm with defending champion Matt Jones and European Tour ace Adrian Meronk from Poland.

Lee will follow in the next group with compatriot Steph Kyriacou and Chevron Championship winner Jennifer Kupcho.

In the space of 45 action-packed minutes, Marc Leishman, Lee’s brother Min Woo, in-form Kiwi Ryan Fox and seven-times major champion Karrie Webb also hit off at Victoria.