By Tony Webeck

New Zealand’s Hanee Song has the top of the leaderboard within sight after Round 1 of TPS Hunter Valley at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort.

Tied for 25th at the Vic Open two weeks ago, Song was paired with Australian legends Peter Lonard and Peter O’Malley but outshone both.

Starting from the 10th tee, Song made birdies at 11, 12 before dropping a shot at the par-4 13th.

After 10 straight pars an eagle at the par-5 sixth rocketed her up the leaderboard with a round of three-under 67 and into a tie for seventh, three shots back of Jack Munro and Braden Becker.

It was a strong start too for Victorian Stephanie Bunque.

Bouncing back from the disappointment of her disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard at TPS Sydney, Bunque had five birdies in her round of two-under 68 to be tied for 15th.

Kelsey Bennett, Rhianna Lewis and amateurs Belinda Ji and Kate McFarlane are all in a tie for 30th after rounds of even par 70.

Despite the 125mm deluge that saturated the course on Wednesday, play began on time on Thursday morning, Munro and Becker both delivering rounds of six-under 64 in the afternoon wave to establish a two-shot lead.

Hailing from Belmont originally but now based in central Queensland where he works in the mines, Brendan Smith had two birdies and an eagle in his final four holes to post four-under 66 in the morning, level with Jordan Mullaney, Edward Donoghue and Lincoln Tighe.

TPS Sydney runner-up Deyen Lawson is in an eight-way tie for seventh at three-under as defending champion Aaron Pike (70), Newcastle favourite Nick Flanagan (69) and ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader David Micheluzzi (70) made steady starts, Micheluzzi making three straight bogeys from the 14th hole to drop to a tie for 30th.

Munro was just two shots back after Round 1 of TPS Sydney a week ago but struggled on the weekend, playing the front nine at Bonnie Doon in a combined 10-over par to fall to a share of 54th.

There were no front nine faults on Thursday, however, the L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max broomstick putter producing five birdies on his outward nine on his way to six-under.

“I hit it close on the second and holed a putt. Made a decent par on the third and then I actually chipped in on the fourth which got me going,” explained Munro, who found something in his swing on Tuesday that also led to improved ball-striking.

“Then I hit it close on the par 3 and then pretty close for two on the par 5. That’s the sort of stuff you need to tick over.”

A double bogey on the daunting par-4 12th was his only slip-up on a day where controlled aggression yielded the best results.

Like Munro, Becker had eight birdies in his round of 64, finding a freedom in his putting stroke that has been frustratingly absent in missing the past two cuts.

The West Australian made four birdies on the trot from the par-3 third and made two in his final three holes to join Munro on top of the leaderboard.

“The last few weeks it’s been very cold and it’s been frustrating because I feel like I’ve been hitting it well week in and week out,” said Becker, who had to hole an 18-footer for par on 18 to remain at six-under.

“It just hasn’t worked out for me to make the cut. The ball-striking and that stuff has been great, it’s just the putter that’s let me down but it’s back! Normally it is with me but it’s back.”

Like Smith, Lincoln Tighe did the bulk of his scoring in a short stretch.

A birdie at the par-4 fourth was followed by an eagle two holes later at the par-5 sixth and then a birdie at the par-4 seventh as he came home in three-under 32.

“I got away with a 2-iron that kicked down the hill and then hit a good sand wedge in,” Tighe said of his birdie on four.

“Then holed a nice 15-footer and then got up-and-down from the bunker on the par 3; I hit a bit of an average shot.

“On the par 5 (six) I hit a good drive and then a good 5-iron and rolled the putt in. It was a good stretch there.”

Sydney’s Jordan Mullaney was the first to post 66 in the morning as he finds form in the latter stage of the season.

Following seven straight missed cuts Mullaney made the cut at the Vic Open and was tied 11th last week at Bonnie Doon, relieved to see some light toward the end of the tunnel.

“I felt like it was starting to turn around but before that it was pretty tough,” Mullaney said of his turnaround in form.

“When you’re in a bit of a bad streak like that it feels like you’re never going to get out of it.

“I said to myself before the Vic Open, the three big weeks I’ve just got to play well in those. I haven’t played well in the big ones before that so Vic Open, NZ Open and NSW Open.

“If I can play well in those three and a couple of good results in between that would help big time.”

It was a difficult day for some of the big names in the field. Two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner Rhein Gibson opened with a two-over 72, Dimi Papadatos one worse with a 73 and WA rookies Hayden Hopewell and Connor McKinney both shot 76.