Mixed luck for Aberdonians - Michael Sim a 72

Richie Ramsay has that
DownUnder feeling
with an 82


Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay may have felt at home as a hailstone storm hit the Huntingdale course, Melbourne. But, after a round of 10 over par 82 on the first day of the Australian Masters, he probably wishes he was back home in his native Granite City.
The picture of Ramsay on right was NOT taken after today's round!
There is one Aberdonian among the top 20 - Michael Sim with a par-matching 72.


FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Florida-based Queenslander Scott Hend and South African Tim Clark are the clubhouse leaders at the Sportsbet Australian Masters after a violent electrical storm swept across Huntingdale during the first round, delaying play for almost three hours.
Hailstones, lightning and a succession of heavy showers pummelled the course not long after play was formally suspended. The weather cleared in time, however, to squeeze in another 90 minutes play.
The break was a blessing for Clark who picked up two strokes when he returned to complete his final four holes in conditions far more benign than when play was postponed.
"Obviously the wind was a lot calmer and from a different direction and the greens had softened up so it was a totally different course," Clark said.
"It was tough this morning with the wind but I was happy with how I was playing this morning, too, so overall, I'll take that score."
The highlight of Clark's earlier exploits was a pair of eagles at the 535 yard par five seventh, and the 495 yard par five tenth, both of which were playing downwind and ripe for the picking.
"I had two eagles all year on the US PGA Tour so that was quite a shock for me, but downwind they were reachable and that was where you had to make your score up on a day like this," he said.
A total of 48 players will need to complete their unfinished first rounds on Friday morning, none of which is of any great concern to Hend who signed at lunchtime for a five under 67.
He and Clark lead by two shots from Australians Anthony Brown and Michael Wright and England's Daniel Wardrop who completed rounds of 69.
Queenslander Chris Downes was three under after 12 holes when darkness forced play to be finally called off.
Out on the course early, Hend made light of a hot, swirling north wind for his 67.
Returning gradually to full fitness after straining elbow ligaments lifting boxes of tiles at home in Ponte Vedra in August, Hend said a positive mindset and solid game plan served him well.
"I'm never surprised when I play good, I'm disappointed when I play bad," he said.
"Self-belief and confidence, that's all it is with a golfer.
"Most of us can hit it pretty much the same - good quality, good putters - but self-belief and confidence is where it all is.
"I was pretty much a hothead, but I've learned to control that and control my emotions on the course as well which leads obviously to more positive thoughts and good scores."
The 35 year old, whose best result at Huntingdale is a tie for seventh in 2001, described the greens as a pleasure to putt on and said his general game plan worked well.
Six birdies and just the one blemish, a bogey at the par four fourth, represented a satisfying day's work.
"My target was to be as aggressive as possible downwind, and then just try and make a par into the wind," Hend said.
"It was just aggressive then defensive, back and forward."
Robert Allenby, who is aiming to repeat his achievements of 2005 by completing a clean sweep of the Sportsbet Australian Masters, Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open over successive weeks, found the afternoon going tough.
The champion at Huntingdale in 2003 and 2005 was out in 38, two over par, and got it back to even following birdies at the 10th and 11th, but missed a tiddler at the 13th to drop to one over.
Vernon Sexton-Finck of Western Australia, Swede Daniel Chopra, veteran Aussie Peter Senior and Simon Griffiths of England all completed rounds of 70. John Daly had a 76.

FIRST ROUND SCORES (incomplete)
Par 72
Play suspended because of bad weather, due to resume at 7am on Friday.
67 Scott Hend, Tim Clark (Rsa)
69 Michael Wright, Anthony Brown, Daniel Wardrop (Eng)
70 Daniel Chopra (Swe), Ewan Porter, Simon Griffiths (Eng), Peter Senior, Vernon Sexton-Finck, Paul Sheehan
71 Steve Webster (Eng), Rodney Pampling, Tim Wise, David Horsey (Eng), Martin Doyle, Brett Rumford, Danny Lee (Nzl), Marc Leishman
72 Michael Sim, Johan Skold (Swe), Greg Chalmers, Steven Bowditch, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl), Peter Lonard, Oliver Fisher (Eng), Jarrod Moseley, David McKenzie, Nathan Green, Craig Scott, Marcus Higley (Eng), Michael Long (Nzl), Jamie Donaldson (Wal), Bradley Hughes, Craig Spence, Wade Ormsby
73 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Paul Nilbrink (Swe), Adam Groom, James Morrison (Eng), Gary Emerson (Eng), Alexander Noren (Swe), Robert Allenby, Phillip Archer (Eng), Andre Stolz, Ashley Hall
74 Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Mathew Holten (Nzl), Steven Jeppesen (Swe), Steve Jones, Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Joel Sjoholm (Swe), Antti Ahokas (Fin), Shane Baxter, Heath Reed, Matthew Griffin, Stuart Appleby
75 James H McLean, Mahal Pearce (Nzl), Aron Price, Lasse Jensen (Den), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Michael Brennan, Adam Blyth, Manny Villegas (Col), Steve Alker (Nzl), Ross b Jones (Eng), Darren Beck, John Senden, Scott Strange, Jin Jeong (Kor), Simon Khan (Eng), Alistair Presnell, Mark Laskey (Wal)
76 Richard Lee (Nzl), Jochen Lupprian (Ger), Stuart Davis (Eng), Ryan Haller, Martin Rominger (Swi), Wilhelm Schauman (Swe), John Daly, Gary Simpson, Craig Parry, Rory Hie (Ina)
77 Mitchell Brown, Andrew Martin, Gareth Maybin (NIrl), Ryan c Carter, Alexandre Rocha (Bra), Sam Walker (Eng), Bronson LaCassie, Kim Felton, Peter O'Malley, Mike Harwood
78 Lee Slattery (Eng), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Lee S James (Eng), Matt Ballard, Matthew Millar, Euan Walters, Terry Pilkadaris
79 Lee Corfield (Eng), Nicky Harris (Eng), Rick Kulacz, Brett Taylor (Eng), Sebastian Garcia-grout (Spa), Marcus Cain
80 David Lutterus (Rsa), Chris Gaunt, Soren Juul (Den), Terry Price
81 Peter Fowler, Josh Geary (Nzl)
82 Jason Norris, Richie Ramsay (Sco)
83 Doug Holloway (Nzl)
85 Paul Marantz