Aussie Marcus Fraser showed his fondness for the Melbourne ‘Sandbelt’ like Gil Hanse designed Rio de Janeiro course to shoot a blistering course record of an eight under par 63 in the opening round of the 2016 Olympic Games Men’s competition.
Fraser, 38 grabbed nine birdies, including four in succession from his third hole and then two of his closing three holes, to sprint to a three shot lead in golf’s return to the Summer Olympics for a first occasion in 112-years.
The European Tour based Fraser, who has won three times including capturing this year’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia, was three shots clear of a now clean-shaven Graeme DeLaet and with the Canadian signing for a five under par 66.
Aussie Marcus Fraser on route to a new course record eight under par 63 and an early three shot lead in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
And to add to the excitement of the opening round of the 2016 Games England’s Justin Rose recorded the first ace in Olympic Games history when he holed out at the par three fourth hole.
Rose watched intently as his ball landed short of the flag but then for a split second seemingly was not aware of what he had achieved as those watching on starting cheering in delight.
Among the first to congratulate the Englishman was playing partner Rickie Fowler.
Historic 👏👏👏
Justin Rose with the first-ever Olympic hole-in-one. #rio2016 https://t.co/qtzQ7YUGLo
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 11, 2016
Fraser, and the current World No. 90 and present leader on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, was naturally delighted with his record-setting round.
“It’s great to walk in here and have the Olympic record,” he said..
“It’s a dream start, even from the first tee and it was probably the best drive I’d hit all week. I managed to birdie the first and get the round going.
“Overall, I felt like I did everything really well today and really deserved 8‑under. But that wind is pretty strong out there now and I think 8‑under this afternoon will be probably equivalent to 10‑ or 11‑under this morning.
“But in saying that, we had probably seven or eight holes with that pretty strong breeze at the end there. I’m pretty happy to be sitting in here with 8‑under and let those boys go out there this afternoon and enjoy that wind”.
A bogey at the second didn’t prove a drama for Fraser who grew-up playing the famed Melbourne ‘Sandbelt’ gems than Hanse is on record as saying he modelled the Rio course on.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play a few good rounds along the way but that was the most special, I must say,” he said.
“The tap-in (for birdie) on 18 was only a little three-footer but when it went in and I looked down at the ball in the hole, it was something I’ll never forget.”
And having competed in so many major Australasian Tour events in the Melbourne ‘Sandbelt’ region, it’s little wonder Fraser admitted he felt somewhat at home on the Hanse-designed layout.
“Yeah, for sure, the bunker lines, it’s what the Sandbelt is, it’s renowned for its bunkering,” said Fraser.
“And obviously the strategy behind the Sandbelt golf courses, which this golf course feels like it’s got a lot of strategy to it. They have got the variety to move tees around. They have got so many pins on the greens, and even though they are not huge greens, the greens are designed so well that every hole has its own strategy for different winds”.
Fraser revealed he’d been actively following the release of world golf rankings each week in the hope of going to the Olympics but it was only guaranteed after Matt Jones followed Day, Scott and Marc Leishman by pulling out.
However fellow Aussie Scott Hend, and a two-time winner this season, was also tracking for a superb round by turning at three-under but a 10 on the par-five 10th saw him plummet down the leaderboard.
