DP World Tour opener at Crown Australian Open sees tough conditions and a three-way lead. Wiesberger well-positioned to chase top spots.
The DP World Tour kicked off its second event of the season at the Crown Australian Open, with the Royal Melbourne Golf Club once again proving a stern test. Fast greens with tricky breaks and gusty winds challenged the field on day one.
DP World Tour: Smylie, Ortiz, and Fox share lead after Round 1
Elvis Smylie, Carlos Ortiz, and Ryan Fox all carded rounds of 65 (-6) to share the lead after the opening round in Melbourne. Smylie, the top-ranked Australian in the Race to Dubai 2025, overcame an early bogey with seven birdies, including three in a row on holes 14–16. “It was a really solid round,” said Smylie. “A 65 at Royal Melbourne is great. I want to play smart, know when to attack and when to hold back.”
Ryan Fox also impressed with eight birdies and two bogeys. The New Zealander birdied holes 2–4 and 13–15 in succession. “I would’ve taken even par this morning,” Fox admitted. “The wind made it really tough, but I managed to hole some early putts and stay in control.”
Carlos Ortiz of Mexico continued his good form after a top-25 in Brisbane last week. With six birdies, two bogeys, and an eagle on 17, he joined the leaders. “You have to respect this course,” Ortiz said. “We played smart, hit a lot of greens, and made some key putts.”
Wiesberger among top chasers – Hole-in-One highlight
South Africa’s Michael Hollick provided a highlight with a hole-in-one on the 7th hole, finishing at -2. Just one shot back is Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger, who sits T26 at -1 after five birdies and four bogeys. “Crazy wind. Hard and dry course. A 5-hour-40-minute round,” Wiesberger shared on Instagram, adding he was “relieved to fight back and stay under par.”
Rory McIlroy had a mixed start, carding five birdies but six bogeys to finish at +1 (T57). “I need to putt better,” he said. “I’m struggling to read the lines—they’re very tricky.”
Challenging conditions impact German-speaking players
Yannik Paul and Joel Girrbach are currently T105 at +3, two shots outside the projected cut. Paul lost three strokes on hole 10 and had warned pre-tournament about the course’s difficulty. Freddy Schott struggled to a +6 (T139) with a double and quadruple bogey, while Maximilian Steinlechner posted +7 (T145) after six bogeys, three birdies, and two doubles.