Five share lead on tough opening day at Moonah

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Daniel Summerhays was one of five Americans in the top 10 after the first round.

FINGAL, Australia -- For most of the opening round of the Moonah Classic, the question wasn't who would lead at the end of the day but how many would share the top spot. When the wind finally settled on the Moonah Links course, five players were knotted at the top after the initial 18 of the tournament, the second on the 2009 Nationwide Tour schedule.

Haas

At one point, nine players held a share of the lead in the $600,000 event before late-day stumbles and bogeys reduced the pack to a handful.

Americans Hunter Haas and Daniel Summerhays posted 4-under-par 68s to share the lead with Australians Peter O'Malley and Andrew Bonhomme, and Argentina's Miguel Carballo.

Bubba Dickerson of Jacksonville, Fla., was the only player in the field of 156 to negotiate his way around the hilly terrain without a bogey. His 3-under 69 was matched by Kyle Reifers, Michael Sim of Australia, South African Garth Mulroy and American rookie Josh Teater.

Another 10 players are jammed at 2-under 70 and 17 more are in at 71. All totaled, 57 are within four storkes of the lead and 81 are within five.

"This course can play so different, depending on the wind," said Summerhays, who was the only member of the co-leaders to come from the afternoon wave. "The wind changes so much. If you keep it out of the bunkers, you're in good shape. You need to play smart. You have to stay away from the trouble and, like any course, you need to putt well."

Summerhays followed his own advice en route to seven birdies at the 7,416-yard Peter Thomson-designed course, which is about two hours southeast of downtown Melbourne. A stretch of four consecutive birdies, coupled with a 12-foot par save at his ninth hole, propelled the former BYU standout up the leaderboard. Two birdies and two bogeys in his next five holes kept him even with the lead, which he shares after closing with four pars.

Part of Summerhays' success on the greens is the result of a change in habit, first suggested by his brother Boyd last month at home in Utah.

"Boyd reminded me that when I played my best and putt my best I just got up there and hit it," he said. "I've been working on looking at the putt and feeling it a little more instead of standing over it and thinking about it so much. A lot of times I'm not even taking a practice stroke from 20 feet and in. I get behind it, look, set my stance, take one look and hit it."

Haas was the first to reach the clubhouse at minus-4, courtesy of solid distance control and accurate iron play.

"You have to miss it on the right side of these holes around the greens," he said. "You can't be chipping from anywhere around the green and expect to get it up-and-down all day. It's not an easy golf course -- there are some good players shooting some bad scores."

Thursday's scoring average of 73.418 was more than a full stroke lower than last year's opening average of 74.686. Only two holes, both par-5s, played below par for Thursday's opener.

"There's a lot of thinking involved in playing the course,," said the 43-year old O'Malley, who wanted to make sure media members wrote in their stories that he wanted to wish his wife, Jill, both "Happy Birthday" and "Happy 15th Anniversary."

"We got married on her birthday so I won't forget my anniversary," O'Malley kidded with the writers. "She wishes me Happy Anniversary and I turn right around and wish her Happy Birthday. That way I don't get into trouble."

O'Malley celebrated a bit of a revival in his game last week, playing the final 54 holes in 10-under par to finish T31 at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, where the winning score was 14-under.

"I really didn't do much wrong today," said O'Malley, a two-time winner of the Tour's HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship, which will be contested next week in Christchurch. "I'm striking the ball pretty well. The difference today was I thought I putted well last week without making any and today I holed out really well."

First-Round Notes: Reigning U.S. Amateur Champion Danny Lee, winner of the Johnnie Walker Classic last week, finished bogey/double-bogey for a 2-over-par 74. Lee, an 18-year old recent high school graduate, became the youngest winner in Australasian Tour history with his one-stroke victory.

Other notable scores from the opening round: Defending champion Ewan Porter (74); Australasian Tour Order of Merit co-leaders Michael Sim (69) and Adam Bland (71); Jacob's Creek Open Championship winners Gavin Coles (xx), Steven Bowditch (77) and Paul Sheehan (73); 2007 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year Nick Flanagan (75)

Monday qualifiers: Soon Sang Hong (70), Shaun Harmer (77), Adam Porker (76) and Josh Younger (77)

Friday's weather forecast calls for temperatures in the low to mid-90s and winds 15-25 mph.