Curtis Luck, once the world\u2019s No.1 amateur, laid down a marker to claim his first PGA Tour of Australasia win this season after a gruelling opening day of the New Zealand PGA Championship.<\/p>\n
As the circuit returned to the magical Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club on New Zealand\u2019s north island, Luck emerged from a difficult test to share the early lead on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Western Australian is trying to rebuild his body \u2013 and career \u2013 after years of injury issues and indifferent fortune on the Korn Ferry Tour, and is starting to reap the reward of a regular schedule closer to home.<\/p>\n
The 29-year-old fired a three-under 67 in the morning wave to tie local Sungjin Yeo.<\/p>\n
Luck\u2019s arrival into New Zealand was delayed until Tuesday night meaning he had to take a crash course on the course during Wednesday\u2019s Pro-Am. He acknowledged he will still be learning about the course on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis place is so special,\u201d Luck said. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable. Potentially best course of the year, I reckon. So good. It\u2019s really tough and very, very severe. So hopefully we get some decent weather over the next four days because it\u2019s pretty brutal as it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably not the best golf course to under-prepare on. There are some that you can get away with. This one \u2026 there\u2019s so much going on. It\u2019s so intricate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Luck mixed six birdies with three bogeys as the rest of the field, particularly the afternoon wave, struggled to make any impact on the leaderboard. Only 10 players finished the first round under par.<\/p>\n
Todd Sinnott and Zach Murray shared third at two-under with Sinnott finishing with a flurry of three birdies.<\/p>\n
Kiwi Josh Geary is lurking ominously with a steady one-under 69, featuring just two birdies and a bogey.<\/p>\n
But the top New Zealander at the end of the first day was Yeo, who came close to winning his country\u2019s PGA Championship several years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the course, but I\u2019ve never actually played really good on this course,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is my first time playing well at this course.\u201d<\/p>\n
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