The New Zealand golfer Josh Geary was the only player not to finish over par as high winds wreaked havoc at the PGA Tour of Australasia's rich Fiji International.
The New Zealand golfer Josh Geary was the only player not to finish over par after high winds in Fiji. Photo: Getty Images
The $1.2 million tournament must have set some sort of record for high scoring as 54 of the 132-man field racked up double figures over par on the picturesque but exposed Natadola Bay course.
Local Bill Suguturaga had the highest score of 24-over 96 but there were plenty of Australian and New Zealand pros who struggled badly in the brutal winds too with 29 of them, including former US tour players Nathan Green and Nick Flanagan, on 10-over or worse.
A handful of players failed to complete their round.
Geary had four birdies, a double bogey and two bogeys in his even-par round that helped him claim a two-shot lead.
"All in all it was a hard day and I'm pretty happy with 72."
"It's always good when your winning and I think today a lot of that was freed up and just be able to play the game without having to get to tied up with how hard it was and I just went out there and did what I could with what I had."
American star Matt Kuchar and Australians Daniel Nisbett, Nick Cullen, Alastair Presnell and RJ Caracella were next best with 74s.
Kuchar had the remarkable good fortune to have his ball blown into the hole for birdie on the par 4 second hole as he walked up to tap it in.
South Australian Antonio Murdaca, who played this year's US Masters after winning the 2014 Asia-Pacific amateur championship, was a further two shots back in his first start as a professional.
Amongst the carnage 20-year-old Murdaca carded a four-over 76, at one stage sharing the lead before a late double bogey.
Not even Fiji's former world No.1 Vijay Singh was spared on the course he designed.
Singh shot a 78 and reckoned that was quite a fair return.
"It was not an easy day at all," said Singh. "It was difficult on every shot from driver to putter."
