Downes sets early Open pace
Fox Sports
YOUNG Queenslander Chris Downes has moved to a two-shot lead early in the first round of the Australian Open at Rye's Moonah Links today.
The 23-year-old has played flawlessly with four birdies and eight pars over the new links-style course to be four-under.
US Tour player Craig Parry is one of a group of players at two-under, while former Australian Open winner Greg Chalmers is another shot back.
Tournament favourite Robert Allenby is due to tee off shortly after midday.
Australian Open Golf
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Go_The_Mighty_Magpies
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Donny
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Allan chasing Downes hard
Fox Sports
CHRIS DOWNES could be a pain to play golf with. But if he can keep up the pace he has set through the first two rounds of the Australian Open at Moonah Links, he won't mind what anyone thinks.
Downes, the leader after yesterday's first round, looked like being swallowed up by the pack after 10 holes today.
The Queenslander had dropped two shots and "couldn't find the middle of the club face".
But as he left the 10th hole he decided he needed to talk to someone.
So for the rest of the round he annoyed his caddie with an endless stream of chatter and climbed his way back to the top of the leaderboard.
Downes added a two-under par 70 today to his first-round 67 to be seven under and one shot clear beginning tomorrow's third round.
In second place is defending champion Steve Allan who shot 66 for the low round of the day, and American Ricky Barnes who has put together a par of 69s.
Downes began his round with a flourish, but the pressure of leadership produced a series of poor shots.
Three bogies and two birdies on the front nine had him out in 37 and he dropped a shot at the 10th to be three under for the tournament.
"I was really struggling for the first 10 holes," Downes said.
"There was a fair bit of nerves there.
"I wasn't speaking too much to my caddie and the other guys in the group.
"So I said to him "I've got to talk more".
"I feel a lot more at ease if I'm speaking to the guys and having a good time out there."
Fortunately, Downes' caddie Mick "Toad" Graham doesn't mind a chat either.
"He's the only real caddie I've had, we've got a good relationship," he said.
Downes will be partnered tomorrow by Allan, the titleholder from last year who today produced a course record to put him back into contention.
Allan put his round down to the absence of wind, the rain-softened greens and the confidence that comes from having beaten an almost identical field last year.
"The biggest thing is you know you can win the tournament," Allan said.
"You know you can win it if you're playing well and things go your way."
Allan said an off-the-cuff decision before last year's Open to adopt the Aaron Baddeley step-up-and-hit-it approach to putting had also done a lot for his game.
Until then Allan had failed to finish in the top 10 on the US Tour, but after it his game turned around and he produced a career-best second placing in the Greater Milwaukee Open and a week later was fifth in the BC Open in New York.
Out of frustration he decided to abandon his old putting routine over the final few holes of the tournament before Milwaukee.
"I guess it was Aaron Baddeley-style ... just look at the ball, one look at the hole and pull the trigger," he said.
The method seems to be working better for Allan than for its originator who today had a two-over par 74 to be one over after 36 holes and with little or no chance of adding to the two Australian Open titles he's already won.
Barnes, the second player at six-under has also adopted a radical putting method, employing the "claw" grip.
"I used to be a great putter, but it went," Barnes said.
For a player brought up on the American "target golf" courses, the 22-year-old Barnes has adapted well to a layout that is without comparison in Australian golf.
But he said he'd had a good preparation by playing this year's British Open at Royal St Georges.
"Now that was a funky course," Barnes said.
"You could get some wild bounces at that place."
137: Chris Downes (QLD) 67 70.
138: Stephen Allan (VIC) 72 66, Ricky Barnes (USA) 69 69.
139: Nathan Green (NSW) 69 70, Peter Senior (QLD) 71 68, Michael Wright (QLD) 71 68.
140: Jarrod Moseley (WA) 71 69, Andrew Tschudin (VIC) 70 70, Matthew Ecob (NSW) 72 68, Craig Jones (QLD) 69 71, Peter Lonard (NSW) 68 72, Craig Parry (NSW) 69 71.
141: John Senden (QLD) 71 70, Peter Fowler (NSW) 70 71, Greg Chalmers (WA) 71 70, Terry Price (QLD) 73 68, Stephen Leaney (WA) 71 70, Andrew Bonhomme (QLD) 73 68, Matthew Millar (ACT) 72 69.
142: Stuart Appleby (VIC) 69 73, Robert Allenby (VIC) 72 70, Scott Hend (QLD) 71 71, Aaron Byrnes (NSW) 70 72, Steven Conran (NSW) 73 69, James Nitties (am, NSW) 71 71, Martin Doyle (VIC) 73 69.
143: Richard Backwell (QLD) 74 69, Paul Gow (NSW) 75 68, Andrew McKenzie (am, ACT) 70 73.
Fox Sports
CHRIS DOWNES could be a pain to play golf with. But if he can keep up the pace he has set through the first two rounds of the Australian Open at Moonah Links, he won't mind what anyone thinks.
Downes, the leader after yesterday's first round, looked like being swallowed up by the pack after 10 holes today.
The Queenslander had dropped two shots and "couldn't find the middle of the club face".
But as he left the 10th hole he decided he needed to talk to someone.
So for the rest of the round he annoyed his caddie with an endless stream of chatter and climbed his way back to the top of the leaderboard.
Downes added a two-under par 70 today to his first-round 67 to be seven under and one shot clear beginning tomorrow's third round.
In second place is defending champion Steve Allan who shot 66 for the low round of the day, and American Ricky Barnes who has put together a par of 69s.
Downes began his round with a flourish, but the pressure of leadership produced a series of poor shots.
Three bogies and two birdies on the front nine had him out in 37 and he dropped a shot at the 10th to be three under for the tournament.
"I was really struggling for the first 10 holes," Downes said.
"There was a fair bit of nerves there.
"I wasn't speaking too much to my caddie and the other guys in the group.
"So I said to him "I've got to talk more".
"I feel a lot more at ease if I'm speaking to the guys and having a good time out there."
Fortunately, Downes' caddie Mick "Toad" Graham doesn't mind a chat either.
"He's the only real caddie I've had, we've got a good relationship," he said.
Downes will be partnered tomorrow by Allan, the titleholder from last year who today produced a course record to put him back into contention.
Allan put his round down to the absence of wind, the rain-softened greens and the confidence that comes from having beaten an almost identical field last year.
"The biggest thing is you know you can win the tournament," Allan said.
"You know you can win it if you're playing well and things go your way."
Allan said an off-the-cuff decision before last year's Open to adopt the Aaron Baddeley step-up-and-hit-it approach to putting had also done a lot for his game.
Until then Allan had failed to finish in the top 10 on the US Tour, but after it his game turned around and he produced a career-best second placing in the Greater Milwaukee Open and a week later was fifth in the BC Open in New York.
Out of frustration he decided to abandon his old putting routine over the final few holes of the tournament before Milwaukee.
"I guess it was Aaron Baddeley-style ... just look at the ball, one look at the hole and pull the trigger," he said.
The method seems to be working better for Allan than for its originator who today had a two-over par 74 to be one over after 36 holes and with little or no chance of adding to the two Australian Open titles he's already won.
Barnes, the second player at six-under has also adopted a radical putting method, employing the "claw" grip.
"I used to be a great putter, but it went," Barnes said.
For a player brought up on the American "target golf" courses, the 22-year-old Barnes has adapted well to a layout that is without comparison in Australian golf.
But he said he'd had a good preparation by playing this year's British Open at Royal St Georges.
"Now that was a funky course," Barnes said.
"You could get some wild bounces at that place."
137: Chris Downes (QLD) 67 70.
138: Stephen Allan (VIC) 72 66, Ricky Barnes (USA) 69 69.
139: Nathan Green (NSW) 69 70, Peter Senior (QLD) 71 68, Michael Wright (QLD) 71 68.
140: Jarrod Moseley (WA) 71 69, Andrew Tschudin (VIC) 70 70, Matthew Ecob (NSW) 72 68, Craig Jones (QLD) 69 71, Peter Lonard (NSW) 68 72, Craig Parry (NSW) 69 71.
141: John Senden (QLD) 71 70, Peter Fowler (NSW) 70 71, Greg Chalmers (WA) 71 70, Terry Price (QLD) 73 68, Stephen Leaney (WA) 71 70, Andrew Bonhomme (QLD) 73 68, Matthew Millar (ACT) 72 69.
142: Stuart Appleby (VIC) 69 73, Robert Allenby (VIC) 72 70, Scott Hend (QLD) 71 71, Aaron Byrnes (NSW) 70 72, Steven Conran (NSW) 73 69, James Nitties (am, NSW) 71 71, Martin Doyle (VIC) 73 69.
143: Richard Backwell (QLD) 74 69, Paul Gow (NSW) 75 68, Andrew McKenzie (am, ACT) 70 73.
Donny.
It's a game. Enjoy it.
It's a game. Enjoy it.
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Donny
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Lonard overtakes lead to win
Fox Sports
PETER LONARD won the Australian Open golf championship with a typically solid performance at Moonah Links today.
The New South Welshman won by a shot from Stephen Leaney of Western Australia and Chris Downes of Queensland.
Lonard shot a final round, three-under par 69 to finish nine under for the championship.
With the championship in the balance, Lonard holed a three-metre birdie putt at the par five 18th leaving Leaney, playing in the group behind, needing to do the same from six metres to force a playoff.
Par was the best he could do, leaving Lonard with the title.
Starting the day, Downes led at eight under by a shot from Leaney.
But the pressure told at the 11th where he blocked his tee shot at the par three hole into the right rough and then miscued a chip.
His game then unravelled until he holed a long birdie putt at the last, leaving him on his overnight score.
At one stage of the final round, seven players held a share of the lead before Leaney broke the deadlock with a birdie at the par five 13th.
Lonard, whose near faultless play through the middle of his round got him to within striking distance, joined Leaney by rolling in a three metre birdie putt at the 16th.
He then made a pressure par from the back of the 17th green before sealing victory at the final hole.
The victory earned Lonard $270,000 and secured him the 2003 Australasian PGA Order of Merit crown.
Fox Sports
PETER LONARD won the Australian Open golf championship with a typically solid performance at Moonah Links today.
The New South Welshman won by a shot from Stephen Leaney of Western Australia and Chris Downes of Queensland.
Lonard shot a final round, three-under par 69 to finish nine under for the championship.
With the championship in the balance, Lonard holed a three-metre birdie putt at the par five 18th leaving Leaney, playing in the group behind, needing to do the same from six metres to force a playoff.
Par was the best he could do, leaving Lonard with the title.
Starting the day, Downes led at eight under by a shot from Leaney.
But the pressure told at the 11th where he blocked his tee shot at the par three hole into the right rough and then miscued a chip.
His game then unravelled until he holed a long birdie putt at the last, leaving him on his overnight score.
At one stage of the final round, seven players held a share of the lead before Leaney broke the deadlock with a birdie at the par five 13th.
Lonard, whose near faultless play through the middle of his round got him to within striking distance, joined Leaney by rolling in a three metre birdie putt at the 16th.
He then made a pressure par from the back of the 17th green before sealing victory at the final hole.
The victory earned Lonard $270,000 and secured him the 2003 Australasian PGA Order of Merit crown.
Donny.
It's a game. Enjoy it.
It's a game. Enjoy it.