The Webex Players Series Sydney is back at Castle Hill Country Club, with Nick Voke defending his title and LPGA star Steph Kyriacou leading the home charge.
Spanish professional David Puig has become the first international winner since 2016 and just the second from his homeland to claim the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
The hotel was unresponsive at first, but tour officials weren’t and they made it clear Voke would be disqualified if he did not make it to the course on time.
The two confronted the predicament with amusement, but that turned to agony as time passed and the threat of missing the resumption of their second round became real.
Battling a ligament injury in his right hand, Herbert played hesitantly as he missed the cut at the Australian Open a fortnight ago, but was troubled on only a couple of occasions in his round of 67 today.
To play the US PGA Tour these days, you have little choice but to go through the Web .com Tour. For three Aussies and three Kiwis, that road starts on Thursday at the Final Qualifying Stage in Arizona.