Michael Sim tied for sixth place on 69

in Moonah Classic near Melbourne

Aberdeen-born Michael Sim shot a three-under-par 69 to be tied for sixth place in a log jam at the top of the leaderboard at the end of the first day of the $600,000 Moonah Classic at the challenging Moonah Links course - 7,469yd, par 72 - on the Mornington Peninsula near Melbourne, Australia.
As many as five players share the lead on 68 - Americans Hunter Haas and Daniel Summerhays
Australian veteran Peter O'Malley along with compatriot Andrew Bonhomme and Argentina's Miguel Carballo.
Americans Ben Dickerson, Kyle Reifers and Josh Teater were a stroke back in a tie for sixth along with Michael Sim and South Africa's Garth Mulroy in the 72-hole tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the Nationwide and Australasian PGA tours.
Summerhays, who had seven birdies and three bogeys, and Haas said the lay-out commanded respect in the blustery conditions on Australia's southeast coast.
"The wind changes so much," Summerhays said. "You need to play smart, you need to try and stay away from the trouble."
Added Haas: "It's not an easy golf course - there are some good players shooting some bad scores."
One of those was South Korea-born New Zealand amateur Danny Lee, who won the Johnnie Walker Classic by a stroke last weekend in Perth to become the youngest winner on either the European or Australasian tours.
The 18-year-old Lee, who plans to turn pro after the Masters, had a share of the lead at two under par after 12 holes but dropped four shots, including a double-bogey 6 on the ninth, to drop to a final score of two-over-par 74. He was tied with defending champion Ewan Porter and veteran Peter Fowler.
O'Malley, who first gained international recognition when he won the 1992 Scottish Open but hasn't won a tournament since the 2005 New Zealand PGA, is hoping his experience on the links course will help him end that drought.
"The more I play it I'm finding different ways to get around the golf course," he said. "There's a lot of thinking involved in playing the course.
"There are a few holes I think are a little bit severe in the driving areas. It's certainly a challenge but the way it's set up this week is pretty good."