As if conducting an orchestra on the lush fairways, Lucas Herbert delivered a flawless performance, tuning up a bogey-free 63 to snatch the lead after the opening act at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
Pacing the stage at Victoria Golf Club from the tenth tee, Herbert, the crowd’s darling, orchestrated an impressive 32 on the front nine alone.
His birdies sang from the 13th through the 18th, hitting all the right notes to the spectators’ delight.
On the flip side of the course, Herbert continued to compose his masterpiece, adding early birdies and capping his round with an eagle that had the gallery on its feet. This performance puts him a stroke ahead, setting the tempo at a cool eight under par.
Meanwhile, Ryggs Johnston, the new kid on the block from America, and Rintaro Nakano, a fresh face from Japan, are hot on his heels. Both managed a neat 65, placing them just a whisper behind Herbert.
It’s Johnston’s first dance on the 2025 Race to Dubai stage, and Nakano, still wet behind the ears but clearly not shy, showing their mettle on the challenging Kingston Heath, which is sharing hosting duties this week.
Herbert isn’t just a one-hit-wonder; fresh off his victory at the NSW Open on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, he’s in fine form.
His round began with the steady rhythm of three straight pars before breaking out with a tap-in birdie that surely dazzled the crowd.
Close calls for eagles and a trio of birdies kept the audience riveted as Herbert strutted from the 17th to the 6th, his clubs swinging like a maestro’s baton.
The crescendo? A ten-foot eagle putt on the last that practically deserved a standing ovation.
Lucas Herbert: I slightly pulled my tee shot just down the left (on the ninth, his last). Kind of got a little lucky it didn’t bounce and get into that thicker stuff, so I still had a shot.
It felt like I was in between clubs so I had to sort of squeeze it, a three-wood up there, but still turn it right to left, which was going to be tricky and I didn’t think I turned it enough.
I thought I hit the right bunker and looked up in the hill, people were clapping so I figured I at least hit the green somewhere, maybe rolled over the back and I might be able to make four.
But to proceed up there pretty close and then to roll it in for the eagle, just put a nice finish on the end of that round.
I felt like there were a lot of shots left out there. I feel like that with every round of golf, to be fair, but didn’t really think I holed that many putts. Just hit it quite nicely. Got it into the right spots.
Probably got a couple of lucky breaks here and there where shots that maybe weren’t the best didn’t get punished the way they could have.
So, look, if that’s the worst round of the week, I’d be pretty happy, but I would suggest that’s probably not going to be the worst round of the week.
You’ve just got to take your luck when you get it. There are days where you can play really well and just nothing goes for you. So yeah, I’m going to be happy with that.
Not to be overlooked, the ensemble cast of Oliver Lindell, Cameron Smith, Jordan Gumberg, and Kazuma Kobori are keeping the leaderboard interesting, all tied at six under par after their day at Victoria.
The English duo of Matt Southgate and Marco Penge, along with a global troupe featuring American Harry Higgs, Korea’s MK Kim, Italy’s Filippo Celli, and Aussie Harrison Crowe, are also in the mix, adding to the international flair of this tournament.
And it’s not just the men making waves; the women’s and All Abilities Championships are adding their own twists to the tournament.
Su Oh and Hyojin Yang are leading the ladies’ charge, while Kipp Popert and Simon Seungmin Lee are setting the pace in the All Abilities showdown.
Stay tuned, as this trio of tournaments promises more drama, more heart-stopping moments, and, if Herbert has anything to say about it, more impeccable scores.
