Oh and Artis On Top
Opposites share the Lead in Australia Classic
NSW’s duo of Rebecca Artis and Sarah Oh sit atop of the leaderboard after the opening round of the inaugural Australia Classic being played at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club in Sydney.
On a day which started out under wet conditions, the pair carded impressive rounds of seven-under-par to lead the limited field event by three shots over Thailand’s Wichanee and China’s Yanhong Pan. Five players share fifth place at three-under-par including South Australia’s Stephanie Na.
It was a story of opposites at the top of the leaderboard, one has been working hard on her game, Artis, while for Oh, she came in with no preparation.
Artis name has been on top of the leaderboards all summer during other ALPG events, her round included three birdies in her opening nine, before posting another five on the back nine, a three putt from long range on the 18th was her only blemish on her score card.
The Coonabarabran golfer has been working on some technical aspects of her game and it is working,
“I played really good, I hit the ball really solid, being doing some pretty solid work last week on the Gold Coast after Morocco, fixed my swing up a bit, being doing a fair bit of technical stuff but got it back on track and hit the ball really good today, hit some pretty high quality iron shots.”
“Hit it fairly close, probably didn’t have a putt there, for a stretch, over four metres.”
A couple of major changes have led to the consistency in the 2013 Helsingborg Open winner game,
“I feel like I now have a shot to go to, that has been the difference, I have just learnt to play with what I have got for the day, so if I am standing on the range and hitting fades, then I just got out and hit fades for the day. I think over years of being on tour, you learn play with what you have got, where early on I would probably try and force myself to hit draws when I couldn’t do it.”
The other change was going left hand low when putting.
“I went to left hand low over the Aussie summer just before it started, I feel like it has changed my game really, I just hole more putts then I ever used to, I start them on line.”
Oh, who fired a flawless round, which included seve birdies, had no preparation, “I didn’t have any preparation, I work at Lane Cove Pro-shop and look after the Korean international students and help them out.”
“My goal was just to have a great day and fun day out there, to be honest.”
Oh, is surprised to be where she is, but she is a two time winner of the Women’s NSW Open and now wants to go on with it.
“It is very surprising to be honest, but I am up there, so I have a great chance this week, just need to get the game back going.”
Other notables in the field, Nikki Campbell, who is five months pregnant shares 10th place at two-under-par, while Rachel Hetherington and Stacey Keating both carded an one-over-par 73 to be tied for 24th.