England's Woods sets pace

England’s Matthew Woods hit a four-under-par 68 to take a share of the lead after the first round of the New Zealand Open.

Woods started the day impressively, collecting successive birdies at the first two holes.

He then bogeyed the par-three fourth before returning to two under by shooting four on the ninth and picking up further strokes at the 10th and 17th.

Woods shares top spot on the leaderboard with Australian pair Crag Parry and Paul Sheehan at the The Hills Golf Club in Queenstown.

Parry, a 41-year-old PGA Tour veteran, hit four birdies on the outward nine after reaching the 10th pin on par, while Sheehan hit six birdies to combat consecutive bogeys at the seventh and eighth.

Parry, the 2002 champion, was pleased to make the best of favourable conditions on a newly-developed course, which he admits could be a trial in less accommodating conditions.

He said: “It’s a course that, when it isn’t blowing, you can go out and shoot a low number.

“If the wind blows like it normally would, par’s a very good round. We had great conditions out there earlier. The greens were reasonably receptive, the putting surfaces were very good and I played really well.”

A further 10 players share second place with rounds of 69, while former winners Peter Fowler and New Zealand native Michael Long are among the chasing pack.

Swedish hopeful Daniel Chopra, who suffered the heartache of a play-off defeat to Aaron Baddeley in last week’s Mastercard Masters, remains in fine form and is well in the hunt with a first-round 70 to his name.

Former US Open winner Michael Campbell, fresh from a two-month break in the game, closed on a one-over 73 as he ended with three bogeys in the final five holes.

A second Englishman, Oliver Fisher, also impressed in the event – which is co-sanctioned by the Australasian and European Tours – carding a two-under-par 70 in a mixed round of six birdies and four bogeys.