Three-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner Brett Coletta delivered a timely reminder of his talent by shrugging clear from a long layoff to join a four-way tie for the lead after Round 1 of the Ford NSW Open.
Playing in just his fourth event after being sidelined by an elbow injury since the start of 2025, Coletta had former Newcastle Knights NRL star Brodie Jones on the bag, the pair striking up a friendship in Wednesday’s pro-am as Jones eyes a transition into pro golf.
RELATED: Complete guide to the Ford NSW Open
The pair combined well as Coletta carded a 6-under-par 65 at The Vintage Golf Club to equal the low mark of the day shared by rookie New South Wales professional Jye Halls and fellow Victorians Ben Henkel and Josh Younger.
Coletta’s comeback has been steady with a couple of top-40 finishes in his last two starts, but he’s aiming much higher than that after producing eight birdies on Thursday.
“I’m trying to get some good momentum and just some form really,” the 2024 Vic Open champion said.
“I kind of had it through the last few weeks, the WA events and in Adelaide, but I was still nursing my injury to a degree so I couldn’t really fire on all cylinders all week. It would kind of fizzle out towards the end of the week onto the weekend.
“It feels really good now. I don’t doubt myself at all. It’s just a matter of stringing four rounds together.”
Henkel is back on the leaderboard for the second straight year at The Vintage after leading by three shots after three rounds in 2025, only to battle to a 73 on Sunday and finish a shot out of the three-way playoff that decided the title.
“Obviously I had a really good feeling about coming back here and playing well and a lot of positive thoughts going into the tournament,” the former Gippsland Super 6 winner said.
“The course, I really like the look of. It suits my eye a bit, a lot of the tee shots.
“I just played my own game, didn’t try and force anything, stuck to the game plan I had from last year. And yeah, it was a good result.”
The Victorian had the most birdies on day one – nine all up – to sit alongside a double-bogey and a bogey.
The six at the par-4 sixth hole, which came after three birdies in his first five holes, was a true test of the work he’s been putting into the mental side of the game.
“I’ve worked pretty hard the last few months with my coach and trying to become a better golfer mentally on the course and give myself a bit of a break sometimes and not be as hard (on myself),” he said.
He responded to the setback with birdies at the seventh and eighth holes and then birdied four of his final six.
Halls also has good recent history at The Vintage to call upon, the former Australian Amateur champion finishing equal sixth 12 months ago when he was the leading amateur.
The highlight of his Thursday was an eagle towards the end of his round on the par-5 seventh hole, a 7-iron second shot finishing just three metres from the hole.
The winner of the regional qualifying event at Club Catalina to earn his place in the field, Halls will have limited opportunities to impress on Tour this summer after missing out on his card at Qualifying School earlier this year, making any chance he has to accrue Order of Merit points even more important.
“I don’t have any status at the moment, so a win would be huge. If not, just try and finish as high as I can,” the 21-year-old said.
“The win was great in Catalina in my hometown and a few of the people who came and watched me there are up here watching me this week, so that’s great.
“It’s quite a big tournament this week. A win would be great.”
Josh Younger’s 65 came thanks to a run of three birdies to finish his day and his playing partner, Ben Eccles, was also on track for a 6-under-par day until he double-bogeyed his final hole, the par-4 ninth.
The same hole claimed Daniel Gale, who was 7-under until he hit his drive into the trees on the left, resulting in a six to spoil his scorecard.
Tournament drawcard Lucas Herbert is three from the lead after a 68 that included four birdies and a bogey.
“Didn’t set any records but certainly didn’t play my way out of the tournament. That was the goal,” the world No.53 said.
“Just wanted to go and play nice solid golf and get myself off to a good start.
“I don’t feel like it’s a golf course that you overpower immediately. I feel like it’s one that you just got to outsmart a little bit and I felt like I played a role of doing that today.”
