The 36-hole event was played in great conditions with fair pin placements but fast greens.

Swan, who earlier this week failed to make the cut in the NSW Trainee Championships at Hawks Nest, rushed back home to Dubbo for the pro-am and would have been happy with his round.

He went out in one-under-par 35 after birdies on the 1st and 5th holes, but a bogey five on three was a blemish on his card.

He put together some great shot making on the way home with birdies on 10, 12, 14, 16 and 17 but bogies on 15 and 18 brought him back to the field.

The Dubbo trainee shares the lead with Bill Oliver from Victoria and Sydney’s Brad Fasher.

Fasher was the most consistent of the top contenders with a bogey-free round that included successive birdies on 4, 5, 6 but had to wait until the par-4 13th before recording another.

Oliver’s round was a roller coaster. He had two eagles on par-5 1st and 16th holes, as well as birdies on seven and 13 but bogies on three and five were disappointing.

The challengers are lining up to get back into play today with Ed Stedman just a shot off the pace, while Rudi Bezuidenhout and Troy Macdonald had one-under-par 70s.

Former Dubbo junior Brad McIntosh was expected to be one of the major contenders this week but shot 75 to be well off the pace, the same mark as our local professional Craig Mears.

Most of the field had problems on the greens that, according to course superintendent Alan Horrocks, provided a good contest.

“I think most of the players like fast greens, so we duly provided them,” he said.

“The course in the main though was fair and that will be the case again in the second round.”

The three leaders all played in the morning when the greens still had some moisture in them.

The leading players today will hit off about 12pm and should attract a good following.