A Border golf course record has fallen for the second time in two months.
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Prodigious talent Zach Murray broke the mark by firing a nine-under par round of 61 at Commercial Golf Resort Albury on Saturday.
He had previously held the mark on 63 with former US PGA Tour member Euan Walters, but it was broken at the club’s pro-am in December by Australian Open runner-up Ashley Hall, who shot 62.
“I was three under after 10 and I never really looked like I was going to go real low, but then I just went on a bit of a rampage,” Murray said.
The 19-year-old hit 10 birdies and a bogey on the par-four, fifth hole.
I was three under after 10 and I never really looked like I was going to go real low, but then I just went on a bit of a rampage.
- Zach Murray
He posted birdies on 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 18.
“I holed a bunker shot on the 12th, but, apart from that, they were all reasonable distances, I think the longest birdie putt I made on the back nine was on 14, from about 16 foot,” he said.
Murray has said previously he’s unlikely to turn pro this year.
“If I was able to do that next week in a pro event, it’d probably make me think about it a little more,” he said.
“But because the score was on my home track and I practice there nearly every day, I sort of expect to hit five or six-under around there.”
Murray’s worst score on the course in the past four months has been three-under, last Wednesday.
The tall teenager is coached by Melbourne pro Marty Joyce, who also mentors rising star Todd Sinnott.
He claimed his first professional win last week in the Myanmar Open, and now has full status on the Asian and Japan Tours.
“In some ways, Zach, if you’re looking at the benchmark has probably achieved maybe more than Toddy (Sinnott) at a similar age in regards to results,” Joyce said.
Brett Coletta is another of Joyce’s charges and he’s about to contest his first event on the US PGA Tour at the famous Pebble Beach course.
“I think Zach has the ability to play at that level, absolutely,” Joyce said.
“He’s probably one of the nicest guys I’ve been around, which goes a long way in this world, and I mean that as a positive.
“He’s got the personality that can handle himself on and off the golf course.
“The professional world is a lot different, there’s a lot more things you have to do outside golf, you need to be good with that type of stuff, I think he’ll do very well.”
Murray will now contest the Victorian Open at Thirteenth Beach, starting Thursday.
