THE Vintage's Josh Fuller birdied two of the final four holes to be two under and tied for 13th after the opening round of the Master of the Amateurs at the Southern Golf Club in Melbourne on Tuesday.
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The 20-year-old remodelled his swing in the spring and it is starting to pay dividends.
A member of the NSW High Performance Squad, Fuller was two under through 11 holes before stumbling with consecutive bogeys at 12 and 13.
However, he finished strong to pick up shots at the 15th and 17th for 70.
Englishman and world No.20 John Gough is a runaway leader at eight under.
Charlestown's Jye Pickin is tied for 41st at one-over.
The 21-year-old mixed four birdies with three bogeys, but a double bogey at the 155-metre par-three 16th proved costly.
"I short-sided myself in a greenside bunker," Pickin said. "I hit it to the other side of the green and three-putted.
"It was one of those up-and-down days. I seemed to make a birdie and then in the next couple of holes make a bogey. I couldn't really get on the front foot. You can slip away on those days but I kept my head in the game."
Pickin is confident of making a move in round two on the sandbelt layout.
"I have to hit some better wedge shots tomorrow," he said. "I had a few inside the 120 metres distance, but I didn't capitalise and make enough birdies."
In the women's division, Ella Scaysbrook recovered from a nervous start to be tied for 33rd at five over. The 16-year-old was three-over after five holes.
