Chris Wood flirts with 59 in Gippsland
Chris Wood – file photo courtesy of PGA of Australia
Two of the main protagonists at the halfway stage of last week’s Victorian PGA Championship are again playing a key role at the Gippsland Super 6 as the event enters the weekend at the Warragul Country Club about an hour east of Melbourne.
Queensland’s Chris Wood found himself in third place through 36 holes seven days ago but this week takes a one-shot lead over Gold Coast based Michael Sim who last week was in second place heading into the weekend at Moonah Links.
Wood eventually finished 7th last week while Sim, the more experienced of the pair, slipped to finish 11th.
This week however they have taken advantage of having last week’s event under their belt after a lengthy break from tournament golf of this nature and only a shot separates the pair as the interestingly formatted event heads into round three.
Another shot behind Sim is the former European Tour event winner, Andrew Dodt.
It was Woods however who stole the show today with a round of 61 which included an outward nine of 29 and three further birdies and an eagle at the 17th where he holed from the fairway at the par 4. His quest for a sub 60 round was brought undone by bogeys at the 10th and 18th holes where a birdie would have seen him become just the second player to record a round in the 50’s in an event on the PGA Tour of Australia.
The first to do so was New South Wales’ Brad McIntosh who performed such a feat when recording a second round of 59 at the 2005 Queensland PGA Championship at Emerald Lakes on the Gold Coast.
McIntosh the first to break 60 in a professional event in Australia – photo Bruce Young
The leading 50 players and ties have made it to round three following which the leading 24 players face off in a six hole, head to head matches to eventually decide the winner and who will take home the first prize of $24,750.
