Laid-back Green runs white hot in Carrus Tauranga Open

A cool approach produced some sizzling hot golf from Wellington professional Andrew Green on the opening round of the Carrus Tauranga Open today.

Green, the 2006 New Zealand Amateur champion, fired a career low, eight-under 62 to grab the lead in the opening tournament in the 2010 Charles Tour in stunning conditions at Tauranga Golf Club.

Green has a one shot lead over Southland teenager Cody Harper, who shot a seven-under 63 in a faultless display.

Well performed Wellington professional Brenden Stuart fired seven birdies in his six-under 64 to be in third place.

Four players share fourth place on five-under 65 consisting of another promising youngster in Wellington's Tom Brockelsby, Australian-based professional Scott Hill, North Island Amateur champion Nick Gillespie and Rotorua's Peter Lee, who plays out of the same Springfield club as namesake Danny Lee.

Three players share eighth place on four-under par 66 including international amateur Ben Campbell (Masterton), and professionals Mathew Holten (Christchurch) and Leighton James (Hawkes Bay).

The superb course preparation and idyllic conditions led to hot scoring today with 43 players under par, and currently based on today's scores, the cut mark for the top 60 players at ties after 36 holes would be a record even par.

Green started superbly with four birdies on the trot, and turned with a five-under par 30 before making three further birdies on the back nine.

A key is a new calm approach without the stress of his early professional career. "I stuck to my routines, sticking to the game plan and trusting myself for a change. Usually the mind wanders and you put in some poor swings," Green said. "What my coach Kevin Smith and I have been working on is to trust it - and look what happened? Everything was good today. The driver off the tee was superb, the irons into the greens were phenomenal and the putter was good. It's my best round ever. I have had a few seven-unders, so it was nice to finish it off with a birdie at the last to get to eight-under.
"My mind is in a good space right now. My life has balance. I am doing my green keeping at Shandon Golf Club, the personal life is good and so there's no stress on me. I can just go out there and play and what ever happens, happens."

Harper, who has struggled in recent times and missed qualifying for the matchplay phase at the recent New Zealand Amateur, fired five birdies and an eagle in his 63. "I drove it pretty straight and hit the wedges close. I didn't really make many putts but managed to hit it close enough to make some birdies. It's my best round. It helped holing out on two for an eagle which always helps. I have been playing fairly average but I stayed up here after the Amateur with Ben Taylor so I have been able to put in some good practice."

Stuart, who was tied for eighth place in the Carrus Tauranga Open last year, fired six birdies in his first 12 holes on the way to his 63, while Brockelsby made seven birdies in his round with a double bogey after going out of bounds on the 13th.

Manawatu's Regan Cording enjoyed a hole in one at the par-3 fifth hole in his two under 69, the same score as defending champion Michael Hendry, while European Tour professional Peter Fowler fought back after a quadruple nine at the 13th to shoot one-over 71.

Bon was in superb form in the women's competition to continue her excellent recent form, as she builds towards competing in the Korean Open professional event in two weeks.

Leading scores round 1 Carrus Tauranga Open, par 70, (a) denotes amateur:
62 Andrew Green (Wellington)
63 Cody Harper (a, Invercargill)
64 Brenden Stuart (Wellington)
65 Tom Brockelsby (a, Royal Wellington), Peter Lee (a, Springfield), Nick Gillespie (a, Royal Wellington), Scott Hill (Australia).
66 Mathew Holten (Christchurch), Ben Campbell (a, Masterton), Leighton James (Hawkes Bay)
67 Ben Wallace (a, Royal Auckland), Troy Ropiha (Taupo), Kevin Budden (a, Waitemata), Daniel Pearce (a, Hastings), Ryan Fox (a, Royal Auckland), David Klein (Te Anau), Glenn Millin (Cambridge), Sam An (a, Titirangi), Scott Johnson (a, Muriwai), Mark Purser (Hamilton), Pieter Zwart (a, Waipukurau), Andy Gang (Auckland), Ben Gallie (Queenstown)
68 Peter Spearman-Burn (a, Miramar), Steven Han (North Harbour), Blair Murdock (a, Tauranga), Grant Moorhead (New Plymouth), James Hamilton (a, Omanu), Regan Cording (a, Marton), Nick Meyer (a, Mt Maunganui), Tane Robson (a, Cambridge)
69 Leonard Morgan (a, Tokoroa), Michael Hendry (North Harbour), Bryce Mawhinney (Auckland), Jared Pender (Tauranga), Dean Sipson (North Harbour), Mark Boe (Australia), Tom Cardno (a, Waitemata), Patrick Moore (Auckland), Ilsuk Jung (Auckland), Gary-John Hill (a, Titirangi), Mahal Pearce (Dunedin), Richard Lee (Auckland),
Women, par 71:
67 Caroline Bon (a, Northland)
74 Rebecca Brownlee (Gulf Harbour), Emily Perry (Lochiel)
76 Faye-Amy Nickson (Peninsula)
78 Jessica Guenzerodt (Christchurch)