HOME PLAYERS RULE ON DAY 1 OF AUSTRALIAN MASTER OF AMATEURS CHAMPIONSHIP

Queensland's James Gibellini has an early lead at Royal Melbourne. Picture: Derwin Elise Source: News Limited

 

Queensland and Australia's love affair with Royal Melbourne continued today with another dashing performance on the world golf stage.

Just six weeks after Queenslanders Jason Day and Adam Scott powered their way to World Cup glory at the same venue, their fellow "Maroons" James Gibellini and Simon Viitakangas leapt to the top of the Australian Master of the Amateurs scoreboard after round one.
Joining them at two-under-par 70 on the West Course at Royal is Victorian Frazer Droop, of Yarrawonga, who overcame an early double-bogey on the par-three fifth with a late eagle on the 15th to join the lead.
But on a jam-packed leaderboard, the top 30 are all within four strokes, including defending champion Viraat Badhwar another Queenslander, on 73.
Capping a great day for the host nation, Australia's two-man team of Taylor McDonald (74) and Lucas Herbert (70) have gone into the early lead of the World Cup competition against players from eight other nations.
The pair's total of two-over 146 gives them a one-shot edge over the highly fancied American team, with Mexico and China a further two shots adrift.
England's representatives did not have a very good day.
Best was Ryan Evans with a 74, followed by Harry Casey on 78 and Seb Crookall-Nixon on 80, the third worst score in the elite field of 54 players, 51 of whom are world-ranked amateurs.

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