Ace gives Tasker early NSW Open lead
BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2006 New South Wales Open | Round Two | 10 Nov 2006
A stunning hole-in-one at the 15th hole has propelled South Coast professional Mitchell Tasker to the top of the leaderboard in the early stages of day two of the $125,000 Proton New South Wales Open at Moore Park today. Tasker fired a brilliant six-under-par 64, which included an ace at the 162m 15th hole, to grab a share of the lead at eight-under-par – equal with overnight leader Rodney Booth, who had only just teed off in his second round.
Tasker, a third-year trainee from Tura Beach on the South Coast of NSW, is one of six trainee professionals in the field and showed why he was currently rated the No 1 trainee in the country with a smart performance which included a hole-in-one and five birdies for just 28 hits on the back nine (his first nine).
After beginning his round on the 10th hole with a regulation par, Tasker ignited to play his next eight holes in seven-under-par. After successive birdies and two pars he suddenly found his range. Tasker knocked his 6-iron into the hole on the 15th and continued his explosive start with three successive birdies to reach the turn in seven-under-par. Even a one-over par second nine with just one birdie and two bogeys could not take the gloss off his 64, to go with his earlier first-round 68.
The 21-year-old later revealed he wasn’t completely sure the ace had gone in because the green had a false front on it and he thought the ball might have spun off the front of the green.
“Then I realised I had probably hit it too well for that to happen. It actually landed just past the pin and spun back in,” he said. “When we realised it had gone in for an ace there were high fives all-round, that’s for sure.”
Tasker said when he was poised over a 20-foot putt for par on the ninth hole he told himself “just don’t three putt this and you’ll shoot 29 for the nine holes”
“But I did have a good read on it and hit the putt perfectly and it went right in the middle of the hole to give me 28 shots for the nine.”
“That’s the best nine holes I have ever shot, for sure. I couldn’t make anything on the second nine. I hit a few good putts but they just didn’t go in. The seventh and eighth were playing pretty tough today too.”
Tasker revealed that being the No 1 trainee in the country had earned him a start in next week’s MFS Australian Open, rating it the best thing that had ever happened to him in golf.
“I’ve been out to Royal Sydney for a chip and a putt and a look around and I can’t wait, it’s just terrific,” he said. “I made the cut at a couple of the Von Nida Tour events in Queensland in the past couple of weeks and finished midfield in both of them. There is a long way to go in this event too but it’s nice to be in the mix.”
Others to make a move in the morning starters included:
Victorian Cameron Percy, whose four under 66, coupled with a first-round 70, has him just four out of the lead; A win would secure the Von Nida Tour Order-of-Merit title;
Royal Sydney teaching professional Nicholas Robb, a sponsor’s invite, who shot a slashing 65, which coupled with his earlier 68, had him just a shot from the lead midway through the afternoon;
Victorian Steve Jones shot a 65 to be four from the lead.
Source – NSWGA
