Lucas Herbert has once again stolen the spotlight from his LIV Golf colleague Cameron Smith, claiming the first-round clubhouse lead at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Taking advantage of preferred lies on the wet fairways, Herbert capped off his round with an eagle at the last hole to finish with an impressive eight-under-par 63 at Victoria Golf Club on Thursday. The newly crowned NSW Open champion now holds a one-stroke advantage over Rintaro Nakano, the 2023 Japanese amateur champion, and American Ryggs Johnston, both of whom signed for seven-under 65s at Kingston Heath, placing them tied for second. Smith, who ended the day with a six-under 65, is just one shot behind after a lively performance that included a series of six consecutive birdies mid-round. After a shaky start with a bogey on his third hole, the 2022 British Open champion rebounded, expressing his frustrations with golf officials over the setup of the course after a disappointing pro-am day. “I didn’t do really much wrong today,” Smith reflected. “It was a bit of a slow start, but I finally woke up and the coffee worked wonders.” With three rounds remaining, Smith aims to catch up to Herbert, who is in formidable form. Herbert, who recently overcame a four-shot deficit to deny Smith the NSW Open title, believes he could have performed even better. “There were a lot of shots left out there. You probably feel that way with every round of golf,” Herbert remarked. Meanwhile, former world No.2 Minjee Lee struggled with her game, finishing with a two-over 74, leaving her eight shots behind her LPGA Tour rival Su Oh, who shot a six-under 66. Lee’s performance casts doubt on her hopes for a first win after a challenging year. As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Herbert and Smith as they battle for the coveted Stonehaven Cup.
