A course-record 10-under 62 has given Hayden Hopewell a five-stroke lead heading into the second round of the Mitchell & Brown Spalding Park Open in Geraldton.
The richest event on the WA Swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, the $50,000 prize purse enticed a stellar field to Spalding Park Golf Club but none could come close to Hopewell’s extraordinary display of scoring.
Out in one of the first groups of the day, Hopewell began with a birdie and never let up.
Birdies at three, five, six and nine saw Hopewell turn in 5-under, moving to 6-under with a birdie at the par-4 11th.
A run of three straight pars was something of an anti-climax yet it was merely the calm before a four-hole birdie blitz to finish.
“It’s my second course record but it’s my new lowest personal best, so stoked with that,” said Hopewell, whose previous best was a course record 63 at his home course, Royal Fremantle Golf Club.
“The conditions were perfect all morning, was looking at pins all day and managed to roll in some six and seven-footers all day.
“I started a little slow on the back nine but managed to make a few birdies to get my head back in the game and birdied the last four to end up at 10.”
Hopewell’s group finished day one an incredible 15-under par with playing partner Andrew Crabb posting 5-under 67 to sit in second position, Crabb joking that he felt as though he’d played, “Just OK” given what he witnessed from Hopewell.
Playing in the afternoon wave, Ryan Peake matched Crabb’s score of 67 to share second with Crabb, Ben Ferguson and Brendan Chant two shots further back at 3-under with two rounds to play.
The second round tees off at 7.21am Saturday with Hopewell and Crabb teeing off at 11.38am local time.
Round 1 scores