Zach Murray finds form in Oman
Zach Murray – an encouraging start in Oman – photo Asian Tour
Australian Zach Murray is just two from the lead at the Asian Tour’s International Series Oman event, the former New Zealand Open Champion rebounding after missing nine of his last 12 cuts to be in the firing line heading into the weekend of the US$2 million event.
On a day dominated by strong winds at Al Mouj Golf in Oman, Murray’s 2 under total through 36 holes has him sharing 3rd place and two behind the lead of Japan’s Takumi Kanaya.
Victorian Todd Sinnott is another shot back in 7th place in an event where several LIV Golf members are participating.
Not one player was able to break 70 in the demanding conditions but Kanaya, the former world number one amateur, took advantage of the slightly easier morning conditions and once his 4 under par total was posted, the increasing winds would mean his lead was unassailable for the remainder of day two.
The 24 year old turned professional two years ago after a sensational amateur career, which saw him ranked the number one amateur in the world for 55 weeks, during which time he won the Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Tour. He has since triumphed twice on that Tour as a professional, most noticeably at the prestigious Dunlop Phoenix in 2020.
He leads by one over his fellow countryman Ryo Hisatsune whose recently shared second place at the Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane.
Murray won the New Zealand Open in 2019 and the WA Open a year earlier but although there has been a series of top ten finishes on the PGA Tour of Australasia he has not, as yet, been able to perform well outside of Australasia.
This good start in an Asian Tour event provides an opportunity to change that stat however and with the New Zealand Open now just three weeks away, it might signal a timely form reversal.
Murray gained a start in the event courtesy of his win at the New Zealand Open, that event now jointly sanctioned with the Asian Tour.
