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Smarting pre-tournament favourite Cameron Smith has run hot to be just one shot off the pace after his first round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Japanese amateur Rintaro Nakano has claimed the early clubhouse lead as smarting superstar Cameron Smith lurked ominously after their Australian Open first rounds in Melbourne.

Nakano tore apart soggy Kingston Heath with a seven-under-par 65 before Smith signed off for a six-under 66 at the neighbouring Victoria Golf Club to sit one shot off the pace.  

Smith had lashed officials after Wednesday's pro-am for setting up Kingston Heath for American-style target golf, lamenting the "bullshit" softening up of the traditional hard and fast sandbelt layout.

After dropping a shot on his third hole of the morning, the 2022 British Open champion fired up to take out his frustration with officials in a spectacular run of six successive birdies mid round.

After starting his round on the 10th, Smith conjured a brilliant momentum-saving par from behind the trees on the sixth before closing with his eighth and ninth birdies of the day.  

The former pre-tournament favourite now has three rounds to attack Kingston Heath as he bids to etch his name on the Stonehaven Cup for the first time.

While Smith was running hot, fellow former world No.2 Minjee Lee's hopes of also winning a maiden Open trophy in the women's event suffered a setback with a first-round three-over 74 at Victoria.

Lee found herself nine shots adrift of her LPGA Tour peer Su Oh after Thursday morning's wave of finishers.

The two-time major winner battled an uncooperative putter all round, racking up seven bogeys to be left staring down her first winless year since the COVID 19-ravaged 2020 season.

Oh mixed eight birdies with two bogeys in her six-under 66 at Kingston Heath.

Women's title favourite Hannah Green and Lee's brother Min Woo were among the stars with afternoon tee times on Thursday.