Photo – Andrew Dodt – Golf NSW
Newcastle based Queenslander, Andrew Dodt, had all eyes on him over the closing stages of his morning round on day two of the AV Jennings NSW Open at the Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club.
Dodt had only just scrapped into the field after tournament organisers opened several spots for those impacted by the cancellation of this week’s Hong Kong Open.
The 33-year old raced to 11under par on the par 72 layout through 15 holes today and, while the final three holes are not exactly snacks, on the Graham Marsh designed layout, the expectation was brewing for him to become the first player in a PGA Tour of Australasia event to break the magical 60.
NSW’s Brad McIntosh had done so in 2005 at the Queensland PGA Championship on the Gold Coast but that was then an event on the Von Nida Tour so there was much anticipation as to whether Dodt could birdie two of his final three holes to create the milestone.
Unfortunately, he was unable to birdie any, but his course record round of 61 left him one shot ahead of the brilliant Perth rookie Min Woo Lee and two ahead of overnight leader, Josh Younger.
“That was the best round of my pro career so far,” said Dodt, who bases himself in Newcastle these days after being raised in Gatton west of Brisbane.
“I got hot around the turn and made a few birdies, and then I started getting a bit nervy, thinking ‘I’m getting pretty low here.’
The winner of the 2019 Sarawak Championship was one of the favourites in the event after receiving a last minute invite into the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia tournament.
Since claiming the Asian Tour victory in August, Dodt has made the cut in all six tournaments he has contested across the PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour, but believes his low scores must continue to be in contention come Sunday.
“This is the first time I’ve played here. I checked the scoring from the last two years and I know you’ve got to be 20-under to win,” he said.
Shellharbour’s Travis Smyth is at 10 under par and alone in 4th position while NSW rookie, Justin Warren, who turned professional in the middle of this year after a career in collegiate golf in the US, is 5th at 9 under and five from the lead.
Brad Macintosh with the card his round of 59, 14 years earlier.
