Australian Adam Scott’s hot run of form has deserted him in horror fashion, losing two balls on one hole to fall way off the World Cup golf pace.
Scott carded a quintuple-bogey nine on Royal Melbourne’s par-4 12th hole to slide to four-over-par, nine shots off the lead during Thursday’s opening round.
His initial tee shot went way right, prompting him to hit a provisional, which he also struck well right of the fairway, deep into a thick grove of trees.
Unable to recover either ball, he was forced to start the hole for a third time, this time counting as his fifth shot and even on his third attempt, he found the rough.
He was unable to stop his ball on the green with his sixth and, after chipping on for seven, took two putts.
That left him nine shots behind tournament leader, South Korea’s KJ Choi, who was five-under nearing the end of his round.
Scott, the world No.2, had entered the tournament favoured to continue his winning streak, after claiming the Australian PGA and Masters over the past two weeks.
He and teammate Jason Day were also hot favourites to win the team event and claim the World Cup for Australia for the first time since 1989.
But Scott’s early stumble makes their task difficult.
Day was two-under after six holes.
But the Australians’ combined total of two-over had them seven off the pace in the teams competition.
South Korea were equal leaders on five-under, with Choi’s teammate Bae Sang-Moon on even-par.
Danish pair Thorbjorn Olesen (three-under) and Thomas Bjorn (two-under) were level with the Koreans.
The United States were a shot back, with Matt Kuchar and Kevin Streelman each on two-under.
Welshman Stuart Manley was in the clubhouse on four-under-par, equal second individually, but is not part of the team competition as no one else from Wales is playing.