Harrison Crowe may be small in stature, but the NSW Amateur champion owns a big golf game. And nerves of steel it seems.
Possessing significant power off the tee, the co-leader after round one has joined Blake Collyer at the top of the leaderboard on 14-under.
The 20-year-old is yet to make a bogey throughout 36 holes of the Golf Challenge NSW Open and added seven birdies to his account on Friday afternoon. Four of those coming on the back nine of Concord Golf Club.
Crowe made back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13, the latter emoting a fist pump for those in attendance. The John Serhan pupil nearly adding another at the par-3 next.
Crowe then hit a prodigious drive at the 17th and holed his short birdie putt to draw level with Collyer, who went around in 62 this morning.
Playing alongside Crowe, Blake Windred had a hot round going that ran out of steam late in the day, the Novacastrian signing for a seven-under 64 and 10-under total.
Still with holes to play, Christopher Wood and Anthony Quayle have reached 10-under. Wood five-under for the day.
2.55pm: Harry Not Keeping The Gunpowder Dry
The early players who once again enjoyed a birdie fest around Concord on Friday are still holding firm at the top of the leaderboard. However, reigning NSW Amateur champion Harrison Crowe is doing his best to chase them down at the Golf Challenge NSW Open.
Crowe is yet to make a bogey throughout the tournament, his four birdies so far today taking him to 11-under for the event and within three shots of leader Blake Collyer who shot the round of the tournament this morning, a nine-under 62.
Crowe and the rest of the afternoon field will be hoping the predicted rain stays away from a golf course that is already very wet following Sydney’s recent downpours as they attempt to move up the leaderboard.
At the other end of the leaderboard, the current cut of the top-60 professionals and ties sits at three-under with more low scoring expected this afternoon.
Behind Collyer are four of the overnight leaders who sit two shots in arrears, Dimi Papadatos, Deyen Lawson, Jordan Zunic and Jarryd Felton all recording rounds of 66.
1.25pm: Blake Begins Leading The Charge
The low scoring at Concord has continued on Friday during the second round of the Golf Challenge NSW Open.
With rain predicted for this afternoon, the early starters know they likely have an advantage and a number made full use of it to vault up the leaderboard.
Blake Collyer held the hottest hand after recording a hole-in-one on Thrursday, the Victorian firing a scorching nine-under 62 to take over sole possession of the lead at 14-under-par.
After three early consecutive birdies, Collyer made eagle at the short par-4 fifth hole. Bogey at 7 could have derailed the 25-year-old, but he bounced back in a big way on the back nine, where he added five birdies, including at the par-4 last.
Collyer sits two in front of a trio of overnight leaders who continued their good play, with Dimi Papadatos, Jordan Zunic and Jarryd Felton all adding 65s on Friday morning to sit at 12 under.
One shot further back of that group is former Asian Tour regular Adam Blyth who won the NSW Open in 2016.
Playing on an invite and working a full-time job in property, Blyth went back to the practice fairway last week in preparation and signed for a second round eight-under 63 to sit on 11-under with Deyen Lawson.
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1.50am: Papadatos Playing Like A Man On A Mission
Dimi Papadatos has taken solo possession of the lead at the Golf Challenge NSW Open and appears in top form in a worrying omen for the chasing pack.
Preparing to make a mad dash to Wollongong for the afternoon wedding of Lincoln Tighe on Friday, Papadatos got into his work early with birdies populating his card on his front nine.
More birdies followed on his way home across Concord’s front nine, before a slight misstep at the par-8th tee.
Blowing his tee shot well right, the Vic Open Champion played down the 11th fairway with his second before a towering third landed inside 15 feet.
Papadatos burned the edge of the cup with his birdie try, the resultant par maintaining his 12-under score and one shot advantage over fellow overnight leaders Jarryd Felton and Jordan Zunic.
10.05am:The Birdie Barrage Continues Here at Concord
The low scores of round one have continued early on Friday at Concord, with Dimi Papadatos and Jarryd Felton putting some space between themselves and the rest of the lead pack, while yesterday’s hole-in-one hero Blake Collyer has the round of the day so far.
Papadatos, who will be doing his own version of Superman’s phone box change into a suit for best man duties at Lincoln Tighe’s wedding, was in full control of his game through his front nine.
Starting on the 10th, Papadatos made back-to-back birdies to open, adding two more at 13 and 15 with chances going begging at the par-3 14th and 16th holes. Pars at the final two seeing him alone at the top on 11-under.
Hot scoring again this morning at @ConcordGC. @JarrydFelton narrowly missed this birdie roll on 18 to join @dimipapadatos in the lead at -11, but was out in impressive 33. Now heading to front 9. @GolfNSW @PGAofAustralia #NSWOpen pic.twitter.com/4gCkIEyMjn
— Mark Hayes (@Hayesy24) March 17, 2022
Playing in the group behind Papadatos, Felton, the recent winner at Bonnie Doon, got off to a slower start before a birdie at the 13th was quickly followed by an eagle at the par-5 15 to get to 10-under.
Meanwhile, playing the other side of the course, Collyer went lights out from the second hole to the 5th. Three birdies in a row were followed by an eagle at the short dogleg right par-4 5th to lift him to five-under for the day and 10-under overall.
Among the overnight nine strong lead group, Jordan Zunic has also pressed forward to eight-under via birdies at 13 and 15 following a dropped shot at the difficult par-4 12th, Zunic level with Todd Sinnott for the tournament. On the other side of the course Darren Beck has kept moving forward with one hiccup, three birdies sandwiching a bogey to sit at nine-under.
7.35am: Bombs Away From Concord
We are back live from Concord Golf Club where scoring on day one of the 2022 Golf Challenge NSW Open was red hot.
There are nine players tied at the top of the leaderboard at seven-under-par, including Dimi Papadatos who is underway in the second round having teed off the 10th tee in the first group of the day.
The 7:30am tee time might sound early, but it is necessary for the reigning Vic Open champion who is on best man duties for fellow Tour pro Lincoln Tighe’s 2:30pm wedding this afternoon in Wollongong.
Also making the dash for the celebrations are Tim Hart, playing in the first group off the first tee and Louis Dobbelaar who is in the group behind Papadatos alongside the Toukley Golf Club product’s co-leader Jarryd Felton.
The other leaders are scattered throughout the tee sheet on Friday, Jordan Zunic already in action off the 10th, Charlie Dann going from the same tee at 8:50am, with NSW Amateur Champion Harrison Crowe (12:05pm), 2018 NSW Open Champion Jake McLeod (12:15pm) and Anthony Quayle (12:25pm) part of the afternoon wave.
Mother Nature perhaps still to play a further roll, there’s a chance of showers this afternoon.
