Former world No.1 amateur Curtis Luck starred in his first world rankings event since The Open Championship, ending months of injury torture as Jeff Guan’s remarkable comeback took a huge step at the WA PGA Championship.
Luck, who has battled neck, back and shoulder issues for the past year, can only play a limited schedule but made the most of a rare appearance on the PGA Tour of Australasia in Kalgoorlie on Thursday.
Having featured at Royal Portrush in July for the last major of the year, Luck hasn’t contested a top level tournament since, opting for a low key comeback in his home state.
His game certainly hasn’t seemed to suffer as he fired a five-under 67 in the opening round, to be a stroke shy of the lead.
The major blip on his round was a stray tee shot on the 16th which led to a double bogey, but it was otherwise cancelled out by nine birdies.
“I’m in the same situation I have been for the last 14 months, which is injured on a medical in the US, so I’m restricted with how much I can play,” Luck said.
“And with injury, I’m still managing a lot of that stuff and trying to get fully healthy. I’m definitely getting pretty close now, which is nice. I’m floating around Perth and probably getting too comfortable.
“The Open was really cool to play in the middle of the year. Unfortunately, I would have loved to have played an event or two in the lead-up. I was so rusty going into that week. I don’t think majors are particularly good to be going in rusty.
“I’m trying to see where the game is at before a busy end to the year.”
Playing just his second professional event after losing sight in one eye last year following a horrific on-course accident, Guan posted an even-par 72.
It was a round which promised to have him hot on the heels of the leaders until a double bogey-bogey finish, yet he can take solace in the fact he’s well placed to make his first cut since his return.
There were wildly contrasting fortunes for the marquee group during the morning wave, with Austin Bautista backing up a recent win on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour with another strong showing to be the clubhouse leader after the first round.
The world No.578 had seven birdies and an eagle during his six-under 66, easily outplaying West Australians Jordan Doull (77) and Ryan Peake (77), who both face huge battles just to make the cut.
The pair had disasters on the par-five second hole, with Doull signing for a round-killing 11 and Peake a triple-bogey eight. Both finished at five-over the card.
Doull and Peake have been forced to combat jetlag this week, with Doull rushing back from the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in the United Kingdom and Peake the Asian Tour International Series event in Indonesia.
There were no issues for Bautista, though, who has relished the competitive schedule in South Africa as most of the Australasian tour members try to find their mojo after the off-season.
“I think one thing is important, you stay competitive,” Bautista said. “What I did could be a pathway for what other people might look at doing in the future.
“It’s a good option because you have a full calendar and you don’t have a big break and you can go and be competitive, play for world ranking points, play tournament golf with cuts. It kind of helps because I’m not coming off a big break.
“Any golf course suits me at the moment. I just like playing golf, whatever course I get to, I back myself.”
Luck, PNG Open winner Cory Crawford and WA veteran Brett Rumford were all in a share of second spot, one behind Bautista.