Defending Champion Is Back To Defend His Title - Australian Has Something To Crowe About At New Zealand Open

27 FEBRUARY 2025

Australia’s Harrison Crowe rediscovered some of his form from the end of 2024 to grab the outright lead after the opening round of the 2025 New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport at Millbrook Resort today.

With nine birdies and an eagle, the Sydneysider shot a round of 9-under-par 62, his only mishap coming on the par-4 13th hole of the Remarkables course, one of two in use over the first two rounds, when his tee shot flew out of bounds, leading to a double-bogey.

Crowe, the winner of the NSW Open as an amateur in 2022 but still chasing a first big win as a professional, leads James Marchesani, who played the Coronet course, by a shot.

Two other Australians, Lucas Herbert and Kevin Yuan, as well as Korean Guntaek Koh, are two strokes behind in a share of third at 7-under.

The leading New Zealanders, Josh Geary and Michael Hendry, are tied for ninth at 5-under-par four shots from the lead, with Queenstown-based Ben Campbell in a share of 23rd at 4-under.

Crowe was one of the form players in the big events at the end of 2024 on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australia, rattling off a T7 at the NSW Open, T8 at the Australian PGA Championship and T5 at the Australian Open.

However since his Christmas-New Year break, the 23-year-old has missed three consecutive halfway cuts.

“I definitely had a lot of things going my way today, and I think to shoot those rounds you have to,” Crowe said.

“I had the putter going, so it was nice to keep the momentum going after that one mistake.

“It's starting to feel like that (the end of 2024) again. It's been a bit of a slow start this year after a Christmas break, and it was nice to have a few things going my way today.”

Herbert, one of the pre-tournament favourites, was happy with the new putter in his bag, although a miss from three metres on his final hole prevented him for finishing in a share of second with Marchesani, who birdied the par-5 closer.

The NSW Open champion is part of a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit dogfight this week and has an early advantage over OOM No.1 Elvis Smylie, who shot a 4-under 67 on the Remarkables course.

“I felt like I'd struggled with the putter for a while and I felt like I putted okay today without being amazing, but it wasn't bad either,” the Ripper GC squad member said.

“I hit a lot of good putts and just couldn't get as many to go in as I would've liked. But look, it's probably going to be a week of low scoring, so it was good to get off to a hot start and not feel like we're chasing from a long way back.”

In the morning groups which were greeted my almost still conditions, Josh Geary brought the good form from his Vic Open win at 13th Beach Golf Links earlier this month to the Remarkables course which he toured in 5-under 66.

The highlight of his day were three straight birdies from the sixth to the eighth. “I've been here enough. I know what to do if the weather stays calm,” Geary said.

“You've just got to keep your foot down and make a lot of birdies. I'd assume that's how it's going to go.”
Fellow Kiwi Hendry made his way to 6-under late in the afternoon before slipping up with his first bogey of the day, at the par-4 17th on the Remarkables. The former champion still content, however, with his start.

“I'm hitting it really well off the so as long as I can keep that going, I shouldn't put myself in too much trouble and then hopefully it's just about making some putts,” Hendry said.

Out in the second group of the day, West Australian Brett Rumford avoided a potential disaster before he even teed off to turn in a bogey-free 66 as he tries not only to contend for the title but also to keep his game in shape for seniors tour golf which looms in three years’ time.

Even with his vast experience, Rumford almost made a huge mistake when he came within a couple of minutes of missing his 7.40am tee time, thinking he was due off at 7.50am.

“That would've flustered me, I'm sure, back in my prime,” Rumford said.

“That definitely would've got on my nerves, would've blamed my caddie, would've blamed this and that. I would've blamed the world for it. But now it's just ‘oh great’.

Defending champion Takahiro Hataji started with a 2-under-par 70.

Round 2 of the 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport tees off tomorrow morning at Millbrook Resort. Tee times can be found at nzopen.com.

© Scoop Media