A cluster of international players hold the lead at the Australian Master of the Amateurs after the opening round.

American Quade Cummins jumped off a plane in time to post a 66 at Victoria Golf Club and he holds a share of the lead in the men’s competition with compatriot Sahith Seegala and world No. 10 Benjamin Schmidt of England.

New Zealand’s Jack Buchanan is a shot back after opening with a 67, while the leading Australians at three-under are Nathan Barbieri of New South Wales and Perth’s Hayden Hopewell.

Cummins may have even surprised himself having only just arrived for the tournament, and he started beautifully with a hole-out eagle on the second. “It was tough adapting to the time change over here in Australia,” he said afterward. “It’s still Monday in America so the jetlag is holding me back a little bit but I’m getting used to it.’’

Cummins quickly adjusted to the hard, bouncy conditions of the Melbourne sandbelt. “The conditions over here are way different to America,” he said. “We play really soft golf courses a lot. Over here you have to plan for the roll-out and bounces. Basically the game plan is to keep it below the hole and in the fairway.’’

South Korea’s Min A Yoon shot a blazing 67 to lead the women’s section, but young Queenslander Cassie Porter is in the mix after opening with a 69 to be outright second.

New South Wales player Grace Kim and Perth’s Kirsten Rudgeley are prominent after shooting opening 71s.

Porter, 17, who plays out of Peregian Beach, recently won the Victorian Junior Open.

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