Grant Forrest relishing challenge in Australia

Grant Forrest is enjoying the challenge of playing competitive golf in Australia again as he made an impressive start to his debut appearance at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open.

The Scotsman is making his second appearance of the 2024 Race to Dubai in the country as the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing continues with Australia’s national open, which is co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA TOUR of Australasia.

An opening six under 65 at The Australian Golf Club – co-hosting this week alongside The Lakes Golf Club – has the DP World Tour winner sitting four strokes behind early leader and home favourite Cam Davis after the first round.

Since the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth in February 2019, Forrest has not played in Australia but he is enjoying the challenge of beginning the new campaign down under.

“They’re just proper golf courses,” said Forrest of this week’s venues.

“It’s right in front of you, you see where you need to hit it and that’s it. The Lakes has got a couple of quirks on a few holes, but all in all, it’s much the same, you’ve got to play good golf.”

“I played Master of the Amateurs back in ’16 and Aussie Am \[before\] and then I’ve been \[back to Australia\] a few times as a pro but not for a few years now.”

After making the turn in two under par, the 30-year-old bounced back from a bogey at the par three second to reel off four birdies in succession from the third before adding another at the eighth.

Reflecting on his only blemish on the scorecard, a three-putt from just off the putting surface, Forrest admitted it spurred him on to finish his round well.

“It was a pure bad putt from off the green,” he said. “It was a soft bogey and after that frustrated me, so it probably had something to do with it \[his string of birdies\].”

Forrest finished in a tie for 33rd at last week’s season-opening Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, just a few days on from ending the previous campaign at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.