Starting on the back nine, the South African stayed bogey-free for the entire round and shot birdies on the 17th, ninth, sixth, third and second holes to post a five-under 67.
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ONLY six players managed to break par on the opening day of the Australian PGA at the RACV Royal Pines Resort.
Top drawcard Brandt Snedeker crashed and burned in spectacular style at the Australian PGA Championship on Thursday as howling Gold Coast winds made for a nightmare opening round.
They were two of just six players to beat par, with the rest of the field struggling to perform in the strong winds.
“I played really well”.
However, it was a day to forget for Brandt Snedeker after the American, who is the highest ranked participant in the event, carded a 12-over 84 to sit in a share of 150th. When you’re not firing on all cylinders and the wind is blowing the way it did out here, your mistakes are going to be exacerbated.
There are a lot of accidents waiting to happen on this revised layout however and Foster would fall victim to one at the par three second (his 11th).
“To be able to do that on a Friday to make the cut and get back in contention, it’s probably better than a 55”.
Frittelli was a University of Texas teammate of world no. 1 Jordan Spieth and the two joined forces in 2012 to win the NCAA title.
Others who had a tough day at the Royal Pines office were defending champion Greg Chalmers (76), Robert Allenby (76), Peter Senior (77), Edoardo Molinari (77), Jarrod Lyle (77), Craig Parry (77), Rod Pampling (78), Cameron Smith (78), Nick O ” Hern (81), and Stephen Leaney (82).
But as one caddy told reporters in passing: “Two over feels more like five under”.
Frittelli fired three birdies and only one dropped shot in his round despite playing in the worst of the conditions.
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There was one moment of glory amid all the chaos, as Italy’s Filippo Bergamaschi nailed a hole in one on the 169m fifth hole – the clear highlight of his nine-over-par day out.
