Chris Dunn.
SCHOOL teacher Chris Dunn spent the summer holidays working on his golf game and couldn’t produce a low round.
But at the end of his first week back at work, he shot a new Port Fairy course record.
The 27-year-old mused upon the vagaries of golf after carding a five-under 67 in Saturday’s first round of the club championships.
“I’ve been hitting the ball well and having four under, three under, two under and one under in practice rounds and then when I got to Wednesday and Saturday comps I think I wanted it too much and threw it away,” the Melbourne-based Dunn said.
“I really wanted it on Saturday and I got it.
“I’m one of those superstitious people — now I’m trying to do everything the same for this week.”
Dunn said he hadn’t hit a ball last week after returning to school, with his preparation consisting of a few shots in the practice nets before his round on Saturday.
A maths teacher at Viewbank College in Rosanna, Dunn travels to Port Fairy each weekend, ensuring a catch-up with his parents and time on the seaside links course.
He was unaware his round of 67 was the best, according to club officials, with the course having undergone several changes in the past two years, including the addition of a burn running across the par-five 18th hole.
He was delighted with his bogey-free round and will take a nine shot lead into the second round of the championships on Saturday.
Dunn’s 67 included four consecutive birdies on the front nine.
He made a 4.6-metre putt on the par-three fourth for birdie, then had an eagle putt on the par-five fifth lip out before tapping in for birdie.
Dunn holed a six-metre putt on the sixth for birdie and then hit his approach shot to the tough par-four seventh to 1.8 metres before making the birdie putt.
He had a tap-in birdie on the par-five 12th after reaching the green in two as he completed the back nine in 35.
Dunn said he only missed three greens in regulation.
“I haven’t had a round like that since December 2010,” he said.
“It’s been 87 rounds since I shot six under at Kew Golf Club.”
He revealed he had battled negative thoughts on the back nine as he tried to finish the round without errors.
After winning the Port Fairy club championship playing off a handicap of plus-two with a four-round total of one-over par at his first attempt in 2011, Dunn said he had struggled for long periods.
He finished second in the Port Fairy championships last year and entered Saturday’s 2013 first round playing off a handicap of one.
He will start Saturday’s second round off scratch.
Dunn, who used to split his golf between Kew and Port Fairy, is solely a Port Fairy member nowadays.
He was part of Port Fairy’s successful Corangamite division one pennant side last year and intends making the commitment this year.
But his priority is claiming a second club title over the next two weekends, which would match his two at Kew.