WODONGA golfer Zach Murray believes he needs to curb the aggression in his game to be successful at the Australian Open.
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The teenager will join fellow Border product Marcus Fraser in teeing off on Thursday in the Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.
Murray is coming off a disappointing finish at the Australian Masters, with an 81 and 77 over the weekend after making the cut with rounds of 69 and 71.
"The Masters was a big learning curve for me – I think I just got a bit overly aggressive and left myself in a few spots which were nasty," Murray, 18, said.
The amateur said he had made the cut in each professional tournament he had contested this year and that was his initial aim at his second Australian Open.
"But I'm not going to limit my expectations to just making the cut, I want to finish as high as possible," Murray said.
"It's just about playing your way around the course and limiting your mistakes...not being overly aggressive is the key for me."
Murray, who missed the cut at last year's Open at The Australian, praised the course, noting the greens were very smooth and likely to be faster on Thursday.
He will tee off at 7.35am Thursday with Australian veterans Peter O'Malley and Stephen Leaney, who have tournaments around the world.
Fraser is a $34 hope according to one betting agency, with world No.1 Jordan Speith a short-priced favourite.
The Corowa talent played in Dubai last weekend, finishing tied for 34th in the DP World Tour Championship.
Fraser, 129 in the world rankings, was the leading Australian on the European Tour this year, earning just over $1 million.
He had a disappointing Australian Open last year, missing the cut with rounds of 74 and 73.
Joining Fraser on the tee at 12.30pm Thursday will be Tasmanian Mathew Goggin and amateur Ryan Ruffels.
It is the 100th playing of the Australian Open with the milestone reflected upon as 19 former champions gathered at The Australian on Wednesday.
Murray said it was a thrill to be playing in an event featuring Spieth and the only Australian to win the US Masters Adam Scott.
"(Speith's) very much a people's person, he's a very nice guy," Murray said.
"He and Scotty are two guys any up and coming junior would want to model themselves on, they are very good on the course and off it."
