PETER O’Malley might be eligible for seniors tour events, but on Thursday at Royal Sydney Golf Club he showed he can still upstage those younger than himself with an impressive start to the Australian Open.
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The now 51-year-old from Bathurst fired an opening round four-under 68 to sit just one shot off the pace after the opening 18 holes.
At one stage he actually sat on top of the leaderboard, but on the final hole of the day he pulled a drive to the left into the trees and dropped a shot. It was his only bogey of the round.
"I knew as soon as I hit it, I said, 'That's not going to be too good.' I've hit it in there playing a few comps here before and I just chip it out," O'Malley said.
"I had a swing and I had a gap and I thought I got it through, just caught the last little branch and I made a good five in the end.”
On Friday O’Malley slipped down the leaderboard as he was two-over through his round.