Preparing her attempt to regain full playing status on the LPGA Tour next year from limited starts, Karis Davidson heads the women’s contingent at the Sandbelt Invitational after Round 1, where two amateurs stole the show at Commonwealth Golf Club.

Leading by three from a group including Queenslander Davidson and Asian Tour regular Kevin Yuan, New South Wales amateurs Ti Fox and Kayun Mudadana made light work of the high temperatures and strong winds to fire matching rounds of 5-under 67.

Aged 16 and 18 respectively, the pair seemed unperturbed by conditions veteran player David McKenzie told his amateur playing partners was “as hard as golf gets”. Fox going bogey-free around the redesigned host of day one as he did a few weeks ago at the NextGen Amateur Tour event, while Mudadana played his first 18 holes since winning the same event due to his home club New South Wales Golf Club being closed for renovations.

“I was definitely confident. I felt good pretty much all week coming into this,” Fox said.

“Had a couple low ones back at home and yeah, last month I was here I shot 5-under bogey-free and I've done it again. So quite happy with that.”

Alongside Davidson and Yuan, are rising Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia rookie Jordan Doull and his fellow West Australian Ryan Peake, as well as another amateur Max Moring on 2-under.

Davidson enjoying the chance to catch up with another Aussie who has been a past LPGA Tour regular in Su Oh during the first round as she prepares a busy holiday period working on her game before her first of an estimated 10 starts on the US circuit in February.

“I haven't seen Su in a while, so it was nice, but we're going for dinner later, so we'll get to chat more,” Davidson said.

“Playing men and women, I really enjoy it and yeah, being competitive, just Well, when you come to the ball, you just got to get into it, I guess.”

Playing alongside Mudadana in the first group of the day at 6:40am to avoid the afternoon heat, 2002 Australian Open winner Steve Allan and newly 18-year-old Queensland Amateur Sarah Hammett sit on 1-under alongside 2024 The National Tournament winner Cameron John, Sandbelt local Matt Griffin and yet another amateur in Morten Hafkamp.

“My group was really good today. Everyone played pretty well,” Hammett said.

“I think it was good to see other people make heaps of birdies and kind of give me more, I guess, not motivation, but to keep going and try and make some more birdies as well.

“The format as well, being able to play with some of the men is just such a different game. And yeah, just cool to see.”

Although all vying for the overall title, which features Brady Watt, Cameron Davis and Daniel Gale on the honour roll, the unique event also offers up trophies for each category, with Fox and Mudadana surely looking towards the main event as a first port of call.

“There's a lot of good pros here, so being able to have some good scores and being up there with them is really good and good feeling,” Mudadana said.

The son of a golf professional, Fox seems comfortable in the company, but will be wary of the likes of David Micheluzzi on even par, even if he says he “used all the putts” on a 59 at home club Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club on Sunday.

The DP World Tour player not planning much of a Christmas break as he prepares for the European circuit’s Middle East swing early in the new year, while also paying his dues this week at an event that offers all the players a unique perspective of the game they have all dedicated their lives to.

“Last year I had Q School and I committed to this (Sandbelt Invitational) and found out Q School was on that same time and obviously went to Q School, so I didn't get to play this event last year,” Micheluzzi said.

“So felt like I owed Geoff (Ogilvy) a favour in the nicest way possible. It's always just been a great event.

“I played the first time they've held it and it's always been great. And Geoff’s been very kind with me from  amateur golf to professional golf. He's helped me out a lot so it's the least I can do for him.”

Micheluzzi sits alongside four others, including fellow Victorians Matias Sanchez, Connor McDade, Molly McLean and Patrick O’Connor.

The mixed group of players headed to Yarra Yarra Golf Club for Tuesday’s second round before Woodlands Golf Club hosts the third round and the five winners will be awarded the spoils on the famed West Course of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Full scores at www.sandbeltinvitational.com