Micheluzzi, Kim lead after first round of Australian Open

A player ranked outside the world’s top 500, David Micheluzzi, and another outside the top 200, Grace Kim, took out the honours on day one of the mixed-gender Australian Open played on the Victoria and Kingston Heath courses on Thursday.

Grace was on fire early, opening her round with five straight birdies on the way to a sizzling course record seven-under 66 and the outright first-round lead at Kingston Heath.

But the story of the day belonged to 26-year-old Cranbourne battler Micheluzzi, who upstaged his more experienced rivals — including last weekend’s Australian PGA winner, Cameron Smith — with a record-equalling seven-under 63 at Victoria.

Micheluzzi carried on his impressive top-10 finish at Royal Queensland last weekend behind Smith with a near-flawless opening round — highlighted by eight birdies and one solitary bogey at the tricky par-four 10th hole.

He gathered birdies at the second, fourth, fifth, ninth, 12th, 13th, 17th, and 18th holes as he dismantled the par-70 course with a selection of accurate iron play and some hot putting.

“I’ve played this course a hundred times. I know it like the back of my hand,” Micheluzzi said of the famed Victoria layout.

“I got the putter going which was nice.

“I holed a bomb on on 13, (he started on the 10th like 65-70 feet which was nice as I was still half asleep, it was a shock when it went in.”

Micheluzzi said his overall game had gotten better and he now knew how to think his way around a golf course.

Tomorrow, he switches to Kingston Heath, another course he is very familiar with.

“I know that course even better, I’ve just got to do what I did today.”

The Victorian, however, saved his best shot for social media, taking a swipe at the world rankings system on his private Twitter account afterward.

He was filthy with the fact that he collected fewer points for finishing sixth last weekend than he did when ninth in the same event in 2021, highlighting issues with the rankings system.

“I’m not going to even mention the world ranking points,” he said in a post-round swipe which was a lot cleaner than his Twitter comment which could land him in hot water.

“Everyone knows what I think of it. Good golf takes care of itself.”

Good golf is exactly what Kim produced in her spectacular record round to lead the women’s Open field.

The former Australian Amateur champion secured one of just 10 cards from the secondary Epson Tour after she finished fifth in the Race to the Card standings – the first Australian to do so since Hannah Green in 2017.

Green had the lead mid-round before Kim sunk three back-nine birdies to take the clubhouse lead by two shots.

Korea’s former world No.1 Jiyai Shin was also on five-under with Green.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting that start,” Kim said of her five straight birdies to open her record round.

“I had a couple of two-putt birdies on the par-fives.

“The more the birdies kept coming, the more nervous I got.

“I like this format, I love beating the guys.”

Kim has had a great season after turning professional in September 2021.

A win and four top-10 finishes saw her end her rookie season in fifth place on the money list and secure her full card for next year’s LPGA Tour.

More sports news