Fresh Northerlies and quick greens greeted the professionals in the first Pro Am of the second half of the year, the two day 36 Hole Nelson Pro Am.
Levin Professional, Tyler Hodge leads the way after a few strong results in the Charles Tour, firing a bogey-free 66 on the tricky links-style course. Tyler's round included four birdies and an hole out eagle on the 18th Hole to grab a one shot lead over Canterbury professional, Matt Mclean who is chasing his best finish in 2023. Matt's round of 67 included 7 birdies and an eagle on the short Par 5 14th to show strong scoring glimpses as he tries to make his professional breakthrough.
The tricky conditions proved favorable to local knowledge with three local professionals, brothers Sean and Blair Riordan and Nick Loach all rounding out the top 5 with rounds of 69, 70, 70 respectively.
Round 2 commences tomorrow with a 10.00am Shotgun Start, with heavy OOM implications on the line, Tyler Hodge will be looking to close down the gap to Josh Geary in the Order of Merit with a win.