Upbeat Blake hopes to get on a roll at Aussie Open

Blake Windred (right) is excited to be playing at the Autralian Open again. Picture Getty Images

BLAKE Windred has never experienced a run of outs like the past six months.

The forever upbeat Charlestown professional has missed the cut in 13 of the last 14 world ranking events that he has played.

The Victorian PGA a fortnight ago, where he was the defending champion and finished tied for 26^th, was the only cut Windred has made since May. He also featured in two LIV events which consist of 54 holes.

At the Australian PGA in Brisbane last weekend, he missed playing on the weekend by a shot.

Though disappointed with the lack of results, Windred remains positive heading into the $1.7million Australian Open being played at Kingston Heath and Victoria golf clubs, starting Thursday.

"This is where I am at in my career," the 24-year-old said. "I have never really missed cuts like this. I have to learn how to get through it.

"It is not by changing my golf swing. I need to hole two more putts per round. That is an eight-shot difference at the end of the week. It is just a couple of putts here and there, and you are on a roll again."

Windred, who was second on the Australasian order of merit last year, carded rounds of 73,71 to be two-over at Royal Queensland last week.

"My game is sweet," Windred said. "Missing the cut by one is what happens if you don't hole any putts. It is not that I was putting badly, but sometimes the ball refuses to go in the hole. You have to cop it on the chin and keep walking.

"There are days when you get out there and hole everything. People say 'you are the best putter'. I just feel like I am doing what I do every day, but they are going in."

Windred finished tied for 16^th at the 2019 at national open at The Australia - the last time it was played after COVID forced the cancellation of the tournament in 2020 and 2021.

"It was my third event as a pro and I got an invite to play," he said. "They are good memories. I could have finished higher up but had a double bogey on the back nine on Sunday."

The 2019 Open was in Windred's "backyard" at The Australian where he was a member as a junior and trains under Gary Barter.

However, he has very little experience on sandbelt courses in Melbourne. He had a practice round at Kingston Heath on Tuesday and played in the pro-am at Victoria on Wednesday

"It's exciting to be back at an Australian Open," Windred said. "I like the green set up at Kingston Heath. It is not that firm."

Windred is off the first tee at Victoria Golf Club at 12.55pm on Thursday.

Nick Flannagan and Dylan Perry are in the same group at Kingston Heath, teeing off at 12.11pm. Jake Higginbottom is off the 10th at the same course at noon.

In a world first, men and women are both competing at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath for their own titles.

"Every second group will be female," Windred said.

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