Bendigo native Lucas Herbert has rocketed into the lead of the Ford NSW Open at Murray Downs, but for the best part of the day, it was all about Cam.
British Open winner Cam. The reported mega millions will move Cam from the US PGA Tour to LIV Golf’s Ripper GC captain and team owner Cam.
Until around 4.15 pm this afternoon, when the momentum shifted Herbert’s way with a three-shot swing on the 16th Hole.
Herbert made crucial putts on 15 and 16, but it was the crucial latter hole where Smith could only make a bogey from under the right-hand trees (in the only blemish of the Ripper GC’s captains opening 36 holes) that the pendulum moved Herbert’s way.
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As Cam got down on his knees under a tree on the par-five 16th having blocked his tee shot deep into the shrubs, and holding a two-shot lead over team-mate Lucas Herbert, it was still all about Cam. Until it wasn’t.
Smith’s sideways chip never made it to the fairway, clipping an overhanging branch and forcing another chip to get it back into play.
Meanwhile, Herbert – or Herbie as they are now beginning to shout from the fairways – was on the green in two. For the first 34 holes he had trailed Smith by two shots, but a 25 footer straight into the heart for eagle switched things around by three shots, and now Herbie celebrated with a fist pump.
It was now longer about Cam. Herbie had a two-shot lead.
It was the sort of drama needed on a day when grinding seemed, well, par for the course. Sure there were exceptional scores coming in – Geoff Ogilvy’s five-under masterclass to comfortably make the cut: Brett Drewitt (65), Josh Geary (65), Josh Younger (65), Daniel Gale’s brilliant (66) all making headway as the leaderboard tightened throughout the afternoon. But for the most part there were stories of multiple birdies matching multiple bogeys. And only the straightest of hitters would stay in the black.
For Smith, it was a routine three-under 68 that leaves him in second place, two shots behind Herbert and set to play with his Ripper team-mate for the third day in a row. It was the only genuine blemish over 36 holes of beautiful golf.
Herbert used the frustration of a missed birdie putt on nine to get his mind back into focus. “That was a bit of a wake-up call,” the big Victorian said.
“It was a kick in the arse to get things going on the back nine. I would have liked to have made that one there and extended the lead going into the weekend … but there’s not much you can do. I had a couple of good breaks out there so I’m not going to get too caught up in that.”
Herbert made an important par-save on 15 after hitting a hidden rock in the bunker, then found the green in two on 16 where he also made a long eagle putt, forcing a three-shot swing against Smith.
“(The putt) on 16 was a bit of a momentum swing,” he said.
“I could have easily two-putted both those (15 and 16) and it’s a different conversation. I’m very grateful they went in.”
Danger lurks in the name of Josh Geary at -9, his six-under round driving him back into contention in an event he probably believes he should have won in 2014, when he lost in a three-hole playoff at Stonecutter’s Ridge to eventual winner Anthony Brown.
The round of the day belongs to New Zealander Harry Hillier who inexplicably bogeyed the easiest of opening holes, the short par-four 1st, but then rammed home seven pars and eight birdies to finish seven-under for the day and only five back in a tie for ninth.
Mollymook amateur Jye Halls appeared destined for a high finish but dropped shots on 17 and 18 to still have an excellent day (-2 for the round), to be the highest-placed amateur for the event at -4 and in a tie for 19th.
