Australian Open 2023 LIVE updates: Sugihara drains hole in one as Davis leads, Smith struggles

Men’s:
-9: Cameron Davis.
-8: Patrick Rodgers (USA).
-7: Hayden Hopewell.
-6: Grant Forrest (SCO), Alexander Levy (FRA), Nicolo Galletti (USA), Sean Crocker (USA), Zack Swanwick (a, NZL).
-5: Min Woo Lee, Yuto Katsuragawa (JPN), David Horsey (ENG), Mark Power (IRE).
-4: Conor Purcell (IRE), Rikuya Hoshino (JPN), Lawry Flynn, Mark Power (IRE), Elvis Smylie, Kit Bittle (NZL).

Women’s:
-6: Rachel Lee (a)
-5: Jiyai Shin (KOR)
-4: Steph Kyriacou
-3: Minjee Lee, Sukapan Budsabakorn (THA), Ella Scaysbrook (a), Ashleigh Buhai (RSA), Sarah Hammett (a)
-2: Grace Kim, Jenny Shin
-1: Gabi Ruffels, Hannah Green, Justice Bosio (a)

That’s where we’re going to leave our coverage of the opening day of the Australian Open.

What a wild start to the tournament. Cameron Davis sizzled to lead the men’s event, Cameron Smith battled through and a 16-year-old schoolgirl who almost missed her tee time is somehow leading the women’s tournament.

Please join us again bright and early tomorrow morning for coverage of the morning groups. It’s the best place to follow the action until the television coverage kicks in.

Thanks for joining us.

Cameron Smith in action.Credit: Getty

Adam Scott was having a lesson/exchanging ideas with fellow professional Brett Rumford at the Australian PGA Championship last week. They spent a lot of time working out of a bunker.

Scott has just splashed out of a greenside bunker on the 15th hole and he looked less than happy with his effort. Rumford said last week he was hoping to “teach himself out of a job”. Maybe just not yet.

But Scott makes a 12-footer to save par. That felt like it was imperative to keep his momentum. He’s only had two birdies and one bogey through 15 holes to stay at one-under.

As expected, there’s been very little movement at the top of the leaderboard with scoring tougher at The Australian for the afternoon wave.

Teenage amateur Rachel Lee still holds the lead in the women’s event, with Jenny Shin (-4) the best of the golfers out on the course in the afternoon.

Aaron Baddeley, playing his first Australian Open for years, is leading the men’s charge at four-under through 12 holes alongside Scotsman Connor Syme and Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas.

Adam Scott? He’s at one-under through 14 holes alongside Matt Jones. Defending champion Adrian Meronk is having a battle at one-over for the day.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk.Credit: AP

If you thought the Rachel Lee story couldn’t get any crazier, the schoolgirl has revealed how close she came to not even playing in the opening round - because she almost missed her tee time.

“I thought I was at 8.38 not 8.28 and I’ve learnt my lesson, so I won’t do that again hopefully,” Lee laughed. “I was putting and then my coach [Steve McRae] just said, ‘Rachel, you’re on the tees’. So I just ran for my life.”

The 16-year-old leads the women’s event by a shot from Jiyai Shin after her six-under 67 at The Lakes.

The marquee men’s group of Adam Scott, Adrian Meronk and Matt Jones have just made the turn after surviving the elements earlier in their round at The Australian.

Meronk (-1) and Jones (even) both made birdies on the ninth, while Scott cut a somewhat frustrated figure at even par. He knows he’s got work to do to get himself into the tournament with the breathless conditions at The Lakes this morning a huge advantage.

Poland’s Adrian Meronk during his first round.Credit: Getty

There’s a little bit of controversy emanating from the Australian Open at the moment with two-time winner Matt Jones penalised two shots for taking a preferred lie when he shouldn’t have on the first hole.

The lift, clean and replace rule has been in force across both courses today, but Jones has been judged to have done it behind the first green and has had to take a penalty.

The rules state he was only allowed to do it on the fairways. Not a great way to start his bid for a third title on his home course.

The preferred lie rule meant as Cameron Davis threatened the course record at The Lakes, it was never going to count anyway.

Adam Scott (left) speaks to Matt Jones during the opening round.Credit: Getty

Righto, can you believe the sun is now out at The Australian? No wonder they kept them on the course for as long as they did.

Just a quick update on what’s been happening with the featured groups out on The Australian at the moment.

Two-time Australian Open winner and LIV Golf player Matt Jones has just poured in a long birdie putt at the seventh to get back to one-over, while Adam Scott is at one-under and Adrian Meronk is level with the card.

South Africa’s defending champion Ashleigh Buhai is setting the pace on the women’s side this afternoon at three-under, but Grace Kim (-2) and Hannah Green (-1) are playing extremely solid golf alongside her.

Adam Scott is headlining the afternoon wave.Credit: Getty

Well, that’s some effort.

Sixteen-year-old schoolgirl Rachel Lee, the NSW amateur, has finished her opening round with birdie-birdie to take the solo lead. She made her last putt just before the siren blared at The Lakes to halt play. She leads by one from former world No.1 Jiyai Shin.

What a story she’ll have to tell for many years.

What was I saying about the rain hopefully being a short burst?

It’s absolutely hosing down at The Australian. They can’t keep going, can they? The crowds are scattering for cover, but there’s no movement from tournament officials yet.

All they’re doing is showing footage of ducks on the television coverage. Isn’t that enough to tell you what’s really happening?

Oh, word is just filtering through they’ve suspended play at The Lakes due to a waterlogged eighth green. They mustn’t be too far away from following suit at The Australian.