American Jim Benepe, who had given up professional golf to work in real estate and
insurance, shot a six-under-par 66 yesterday to share the first-round lead in the Victorian Open in Melbourne.
Australians Matthew Millar and Adam Le Vesconte also shot 66s.
A bright future was predicted for Benepe when he made a spectacular start to his pro career more than a decade ago. He won the Victorian Open as a 22-year-old, then won the Western Open in Chicago in his first appearance at a US PGA Tour event.
However, Benepe's career failed to take off as expected and he eventually quit the pro circuit in 1994.
Two years later he competed in two events on the Nike Tour before earning enough prize money to travel to Australia where he gained a player's card. ''This is the first day I've put it all together and made a good score,'' Benepe said. ''I have corrected a slight flaw in my swing which is now a lot crisper.''
Miller is playing in his first pro event after having come through a qualifying tournament. He had to carry his own bag because he cannot afford a caddy. Leading scores (Australian unless stated):
66 - Jim Benepe (US), Matthew Millar, Adam Le Vesconte.
67 - Kurt Linde, Neil Kerry, Terry Price, Kenny Druce.
68 - Tony Christie (New Zealand), Jason Norris, Justin McKenzie, Anthony Painter, Chris Gray, Robert Stephens, Danny Vera, Andre Stolz, Paul Fitzgibbon.
q Mark O'Meara could use a break more than anyone.
Not because he travelled more than 60,000 miles during a five-week stretch after the Tour Championship and not because he is the oldest man to have won two majors in one year.
O'Meara is coming off the kind of season he never dreamed possible, especially this late in his career. All he would like now is some time to enjoy it.
Instead, he and 29 other PGA Tour champions from last year are getting the new season
started in the Mercedes Championships on the Plantation Course in Hawaii.
Then again, having the shortest off season in the history of professional sports - the Presidents Cup ended only 24 days ago - has an upside for O'Meara in that it feels like his dream season is still going.
''It was a lot of fun,'' said O'Meara. ''I know that '99 has come around, and there was not a whole lot of time off. I don't feel very tired. Even at the end of the year, when I travelled around the world, I was still really mentally fresh.''
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