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Bugs Bunny leads New Zealand Open!
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January 15, 2004; Source: AnyoneForTee
What's up doc? A rookie rabbit leading the Kiwi Open?
AUCKLAND. Only two weeks after turning professional, Australasian PGA Tour rookie Bugs Bunny leaped ahead of the field to hold a share of the first round lead in the New Zealand Open at the Grange.
Haring round the course in six under par 64, the 25 year old Australian from Melbourne amassed eight birdies and only two bogies to lie in a four way tie at the top of the leadeboard. He showed strong nerves in the middle of his round, when he followed a shaky bogey on the 11th with fine par saves from 5 and 25 feet on the 12th and 13th, and then went on to birdie the final three holes. "It was a good finish; it's funny I hadn't really thought about it until now," he said afterwards.
 Christened Ben by his parents, but answering to either 'Bugs' or 'Rabbit', Bunny seemed remarkably relaxed after his first 18 holes as a professional. "Not too many were out there looking at me – I don't know how I'll go if they (spectators - Ed.) come to watch tomorrow," he said, "but it's always nice to shoot something low."
 After taking up the game at age 12 playing with his father and brother, Bunny describes himself as a 'late bloomer'. His game started to improve by leaps and bounds once he faced serious competition playing Victoria State amateur golf at 23. At that time he made it his ambition to turn professional at 25, and achieved his aim by managing to qualify in 16th place at the December 2003 Australasian PGA Tour school.
Having spent part of 2003 touring the US, Bunny feels the Grange course is similar to some of the courses he played over there. But his lack of experience means he has no idea whether holding the first-round lead will help or hinder him in the coming days - at the US Amateur, he followed a fine opening 68 with a disastrous 81 to miss the cut.
 We caught up with this remarkable young man after his round for an in-depth interview, which you can hear below (by holding your mouse over the blue text - don't click).
AnyoneForTee: Bugs, that was quite some round today! How are you feeling?
Bugs Bunny: Wow - what a relief! This is my first tournament as a pro, and I was like, really nervous getting ready this morning. My legs were shaking, I was like, 'er, looks like I'll need a little help', and I didn't hit it too well on the range before. In fact, when my caddie told me it was time to go the first tee, I was like, 'something tells me I should have stood in bed'.
AnyoneForTee: But in the event Bugs, you hit a great first tee shot.
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, you know, I just tried to say to myself like, 'well, here I am, let's get on with it.' But like you said I hit a real great shot, and I was thinking like, maybe, 'I'd better get out of here while the getting is good!'
AnyoneForTee: Well Bugs, it's a good job you didn't, because you went on to make eight birdies and just two bogies in your round.
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, what a knucklehead! I hit a bad approach starting home and got it like, right up under the lip of a bunker, like 'uh oh', and no green to work with. I was like, 'brother, if I could only figure a way out of this trap', and I just hacked it out and dropped a shot there.
AnyoneForTee: You did well to save bogey from what I could see, but what about the other dropped shot?
Bugs Bunny: Huh, yeah, well I tried to get the shot back on the following hole and I charged my first putt, ran it like two metres by, and the return, well, I was robbed!. Like that ball ran all round the cup and stayed out! I was like, 'Hey, who plugged up the hole?'
 AnyoneForTee: But you steadied the ship well after that, with good par saves on 12 and 13.
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, I was mad with myself, and the golf course too, I was like, 'Of course, you know, this means war!'
AnyoneForTee: And you went on to finish with three straight birdies.
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, I had a look at the scoreboard, and I'd fallen back, so I'm like, 'OK!, I'm ready to win again...' so I had a pretty cool finish.
AnyoneForTee: So all in all, Bugs, pretty exciting for your first round on tour?
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, and I thought this was gonna be a dull day!
AnyoneForTee: I gather some of your friends also call you "Rabbit".
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, but I prefer like, Bugs. Then my mum of course, she still like, calls me Ben. Gee, thanks mum, hehehe..., what a wonderful old girl!
AnyoneForTee: Bugs, I've heard that you were a keen hunter in the past, you used to go out shooting with your dad and your older brother?
Bugs Bunny: Yeah that's right, I still like to get out there when I can.
 AnyoneForTee: So what brought you to the game of golf?
Bugs Bunny: Well, I.., excuse me, (Bunny steps away to shake hands and say a few words to a friend who wants to congratulate him), er, where was we, yeah, I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I was at school, and one day my dad says to me like, 'well, there's other sports besides huntin, you know, how about giving golf a try?' So I did. I began playing with dad and my brother and I enjoyed it, I was like, 'hey!, this promises to be fun'.
AnyoneForTee: Do you have a particular role model in golf?
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, I was a big fan of David Duval, still am, but of course the poor guy's got a lot of problems right now, but he'll be back. These days I really like the way that Pommie Ian Poulter handles himself, he could almost be an Aussie.
 AnyoneForTee: But I see you haven't adopted Ian's more eccentric habits.
Bugs Bunny: You mean the hair? Yeah, well I tried for a bit, grew it, bleached it, got it spiky and put some colours in it, but then my old lady, my mum said like, 'My stars, where did you ever get that awful hairdo?',and my dad said 'Now cut that out, that's enough of that stuff!', so since then I've been a bit more conservative.
AnyoneForTee: Well, you're sharing the lead Bugs, what's your programme now until your second round?
Bugs Bunny: I'm gonna get something light to eat, and then I'm off the range to hit some balls.
AnyoneForTee: I've heard you really work hard at your game, they say you're the Australian Vijay Singh.
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, well I enjoy hitting balls, I'm like, at home on the range, happy. The players all encourage and help each other, the weather's good, you're a part of nature almost. Sometimes I even sing to myself out there.
 AnyoneForTee: Can we hear what you sing Bugs?
Bugs Bunny: Sure, it goes something like this. (Sings)
AnyoneForTee: That's really nice Bugs, thank you.
Bugs Bunny: My pleasure.
AnyoneForTee:Well Bugs, it just remains to thank you for your time, and wish you all the best for tomorrow and the rest of the tournament.
Bugs Bunny: Yeah, well, I'll see you later. Thanks. Bye.
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