Gold Coast’s Jordan O’Brien was one of three WPGA Tour players to end day one under par at the Webex Players Series South Australia hosted by Greg Blewett.

New South Welshman Chris Fan equalled the Willunga Golf Course course record to take a two-stroke lead in Round 1, navigating the cool, gusty winds to post 7-under 63.

Rookie Jasper Stubbs (65), 2023 runner-up Andrew Campbell (65) and wily veteran Jason Norris (65) are Fan’s closest challengers with Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader Elvis Smylie (66) is one of four players at 4-under.

Playing in the morning wave, O’Brien was just two strokes off the lead before a bogey on her final hole and a round of 1-under 69.

She was joined in red figures late on Thursday by both Vasquez and Norris while Amy Chu, Kono Matsumoto, Amelia Mehmet-Grohn and professional debutant all signed for even-par rounds of 70.

Although disappointed to give up a bogey on her final hole, O’Brien was mostly satisfied with her first competitive round at Willunga.

“Very tight off the tee,” was O’Brien’s summary.

“A lot of trees but it is quite short as well.

“Having to be quite accurate is really important, but you don’t have to hit driver. You’re hitting a lot of different types of tee shots and different clubs as well.”

Winner of the Navigate Advisors Wagga Wagga Country Club pro-am in March last year, O’Brien has plenty of experience on country courses.

She has played Women’s NSW Open Regional Qualifiers in Bathurst and Orange in the New South Wales Central West and is more than comfortable in the challenge they pose.

“Those courses definitely reflect here. Bathurst, Duntryleague, all those courses were very similar,” she added.

“It’s tight off the tee, so I think definitely that helped as well.”

Starting from the 10th tee, O’Brien turned in 1-under with birdies at 13 and 17 and a dropped shot at the par-4 15th.

After a run of five straight pars O’Brien birdied the short par-3 fifth to get to 2-under, her dropped shot on nine dropping the 27-year-old to 1-under.

After narrowly missing the cut at last week’s WA Open, Norris endured a roller-coaster Round 1 at Willunga.

A bogey on one was countered with a birdie on three only to drop to 2-over with a double-bogey at the par-5 fourth.

Norris was soon back to even par with birdies at five and six and turned in 1-under with birdie at the par-5 ninth.

Bogeys at 10 and 11 sent Norris back over par but late birdies at 15 and 17 will see Norris start Round 2 at 1-under-par.

Like Norris, Vasquez began her round with a bogey at the par-4 10th but was back to square by the turn with a birdie at the par-4 18th.

After a bogey on three, Vasquez bounced back with birdies at four and six to also sign for 69.

Round 2 tees off at 7:30am local time Friday with the final two rounds to be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.

Photo: David Brand