Green starts fast at Australian Open, Smith to tee off after lunch

Australian star Hannah Green has put herself into contention on day one of the Australian Open, but closed with three bogeys on her final six holes to finish her opening round at five-under par.

The world No.18 teed off the 10th at Kingston Heath at 7am and had six birdies through her first 10 holes without a blemish, but had bogeys on the fourth, sixth and eighth holes to cough up top spot on the leaderboard.

But a birdie on her final hole got her back within two of Grace Kim (-7), who was two groups behind Green. Kim started even hotter than Green, with five birdies through her first five holes, and despite dropping a shot on the 15th, she finished with a consistent front nine to lead by two shots after the morning wave.

South Korea’s Jiyai Shin, in the same group as Green, also finished alongside Green at five-under, but the second wave of golfers were due to tee off after midday. Tournament favourite Minjee Lee tees off at Victoria at 12.16pm alongside Sydney-born Stephanie Kyriacou and America’s Jennifer Kupcho.

Meanwhile, former Masters champion Adam Scott produced an inconsistent first round to finish with a one-under 71.

The 2009 champion, who also teed off the 10th at Kingston Heath, had just one par through his front nine. He went bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, birdie through his first five holes, and then double-bogeyed the 16th before scoring another birdie on the 17th.

He then birdied the first, parred the next two holes, but went bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie through holes four to seven to finish at one-under.

At Victoria, it was David Micheluzzi setting the benchmark, firing a blistering seven-under 63. He opened his account with a bogey on the 10th, but has since scored seven birdies to march three shots clear of veteran Peter Lonard at 3-under through 12.