Australian Matias Sanchez shot a seven-under-par 64 on the Remarkables course in fading light at the end of a long day to take the clubhouse lead in the New Zealand Open presented by Millbrook Resort earlier today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He leads from American Kevin Na, who returned a 66 on the same course, and Wade Ormsby from Australia \u2013 also in with a 66, but on the Coronets layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a wet and cold opening day the start was delayed by three hours because of heavy rain – that drenched the courses. Nearly half of the field were unable to complete their rounds when play was suspended due to darkness at 20:15 local time in New Zealand. Round one will resume at 07:40am tomorrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kiwi amateur Yuki Miya was the leading player still on the course, on six-under-par with five holes left to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sanchez, who just managed to hole his last putt at 8.26pm, was bogey-free and made four birdies on the front and three on the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was just really happy to get it done, get the round in,\u201d said the Australian, winner of the Webex Players Series South Australia last October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis [event] is right up there, so to do it here, it\u2019s really special, but I know it\u2019s a quarter of the way down. It doesn\u2019t really mean a whole lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Na was Rookie of the Year on the Asian Tour 24 years ago and today showed he still has what it takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American, who played on the LIV Golf League the past four years following a 19-year career on the PGA Tour, was also bogey free and made five birdies to roll back the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was 19 years old when he won the Volvo Masters on the Asian Tour to help become Rookie of the Year in 2002, and this week at the age of 42 he will attempt to claim his second title on the Tour \u2013 in an event jointly sanctioned with the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t played competition golf in three months or so, maybe longer, but I feel like there\u2019s a good energy, there\u2019s a positive energy and I\u2019m happy.\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMind is fresh and I feel like I have a chance to enjoy golf more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ormsby, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour including most recently at last year\u2019s Jakarta International Championship, is one of the few among the frontrunners who played the Coronets. He\u2019ll be hoping to take advantage of switching to the Remarkables tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said: \u201cI\u2019ve never won on the Aussie tour and that\u2019s something that I\u2019ve always wanted to try and do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nice to put myself towards the pointy end early in the week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kazuma Kobori is alone in sixth place following a 67. New Zealand\u2019s rising young star, who like Na started on the back nine, was tied for the lead in the first session on five under playing his last, the par-three ninth, but found water off the tee and closed with a bogey. Earlier the 24-year-old had aced the par-three fourth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was kind of unexpected to get (another) one so soon,\u201d Kobori said of his second hole in one of the season, following his first at the Australian PGA Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t really expect to hole it on that hole, especially four-iron in hand in these conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steven Alker, New Zealand\u2019s 54-year-old 10-time winner on the Champions Tour, Korea\u2019s Bio Kim, Australians Brad Kennedy, Declan O’Donovan and Tim Hart plus Japan\u2019s Ryosuke Kinoshita, Ren Yonezawa and Naoyuki Kataoka are next best placed following 68s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defending champion Ryan Peake is at one over after completing 13 holes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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