THREE years ago, Zach Murray was playing at No. 7 in the Albury pennant team.
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Tomorrow the Wodonga Catholic College student, 17, will tee up in the Australian Open against a field including the world No. 1 Rory McIlroy and his predecessor Adam Scott at the Jack Nicklaus-revamped layout at The Australian in Sydney.
He’ll start in the first group off the 10th tee at 8.15am with US rookie Conrad Shindler.
Murray yesterday said the monster 6625-metre layout suited his eye.
But the junior member of Golf Australia’s elite amateur squad said he wouldn’t be setting any lofty goals.
“I’ve been up there a couple of times with Ryan Ruffels and liked what I’ve seen,” Murray said.
“It’s tight and you have to drive the ball a long way.
“That’s a strength I hope to capitalise on.
“In some ways I have to pinch myself — I was just playing pennants, dreaming of making a career in golf and then, almost out of the blue, I produced six months of excellent golf, won the Vic Amateur and here I am.”
The Australian, which last hosted the Open in 2007, has been reduced to par 71 for the tournament.
One of the shorter par-fives, the first, has been shortened to a par four.
Murray doesn’t expect a repeat of last year’s Open shootout when McIlroy and Scott finished at 18 and 17-under.
He was relying on two recent practice rounds with the Border’s best international golfer, Marcus Fraser, to have readied him, hopefully, for four days play.
“I’m hoping to learn as much as I can, soak up the atmosphere,” he said.
“The performances of some of the guys I have been playing with and against at the Masters (Lucas Herbert T11, Todd Sinnott and Ruffels T17) gives me added incentive to do well this week.
“But I don’t want to worry about the cut, or posting a score. I know it’s a cliche but I’m just going to go out and take it one shot at a time.
“I don’t think the winner will finish in double-digits under the card — it’s going to be tough.”
Murray, a 500-1 chance shot in betting markets — the same price as the last winner of the open at the Australian Craig Parry — hoped a new driver would bring him luck.
“I recently got the latest Titleist driver and it took a little while to adjust,” he said.
“But on Sunday in the pennant game at Howlong against Tony Davis, it started to click.
“I was a shot down at the last and drove the green on the short par 4, two putted for birdie and halved the match.”
Murray said he couldn’t avoid being star struck but he was looking for a handshake not an autograph.
“If I got to shake hands with Rory or Adam, well that would be pretty cool,” he said.