By Evin Priest
GEOFF Ogilvy has given The Australian Golf Club an enormous compliment after shooting a 3-under par round of 68 as The Australian Open commenced on Thursday.
The 2006 US Open champion and US PGA Tour star claimed the Rosebery layout was among the best conditioned golf courses in the world.
“It’s incredible; it’s conditioned as well as any course I’ve ever seen, anywhere in the world,” he said.
Despite wind wreaking havoc on the field from the morning onwards, Ogilvy bagged seven birdies but a bogey on the 17th and a double-bogey on the 18th (his ninth hole) blemished the scorecard.
The 38-year-old said the greens felt as though each group was the first on any particular putting surface.
“The greens are great to putt on; you feel like the first group out there on every hole. There isn’t any evidence that anyone else has been out there,” Ogilvy said.
With early clubhouse leader Lincoln Tighe posting a 5-under par 66, Ogilvy said he had “no sense” of what the 72-hole winning score would be if winds continue to blow as hard as Thursday morning.
“I have absolutely no sense of what sort of score it will be at the end of the tournament, but if I play well I’ve got every chance to be there.”
