Perry well placed at Lake Macquarie amateur

New Zealand amateur golf champion Mathew Perry is the best of the Kiwis after the first round of the Lake Macquarie Men's Amateur at the Belmont Golf Club in Newcastle.

The Hamilton rep had a five-under par 67 to be in a share of third place only two shots back from the leader, Queensland's Daniel Nisbet, who responded well from his loss in Australian Amateur with a seven-under 65.

New Zealand No 1 Ben Campbell, who was knocked out in round two of the Australian Amateur by compatriot Blair Riordan, bounced back with a three-under par 69 to be tied 18th. Also on that number are Southland No 1 Vaughan McCall and the Takaka rep Riordan.

Auckland reps Sam An and Fraser Wilkin, who last year combined to win the New Zealand Foursomes title, both had rounds of one-under par 71 to be tied 41st.

The other Kiwis in the field Tim Leonard and Daniel Pearce (both 73) and Joshua Munn and Cameron Jones (both 74) were tied 67th and 88th, respectively. Former New Zealand rep Brad Kendall was off the pace in after a four-over par 76 left him in a share of 106th place.

- © Fairfax NZ News