Royal Melbourne jumped up to bite Adam Scott just four days after the World No. 2 successfully defended his Australian Masters title.
Scott was one under through nine holes but then walked off the par four, 12th hole with a quintuplet bogey ‘9’.
The reigning Masters champion hit his drive into trees and then played a provisional that also went into the trees. He failed to find the first ball but in finding the second he elected to take an unplayable penalty drop by taking his fifth shot back on the tee.
“I was just away with the fairies on 12 and paid the prize some lazy swings,” he said.
“So it was a little disappointing to do that but stuff can happen and that’s why when you play good tracks like this you need to be switched on at all times and I paid the price today.”
The American Kevin Streelman and 42-year old Dane Thomas Bjorn share the lead after five under par 66s.
Bjorn had four-putted the fourth hole for a double bogey while Streelman, on a first visit to Royal Melbourne, bogeyed the last to let slip leading the $8m event by a shot.
