Herbert backed Smith’s comments but said the conditions changed when the heavens opened on Wednesday afternoon, after the layout was set, dropping torrential rain on the courses.

“It’s probably sacrilegious to come to the Sandbelt and feel like you are trying to land it past the hole. It’s just not the way these courses are designed to be played. It’s a little frustrating seeing where some of the pins are … I get where he [Smith] is coming from,” Herbert said.

Smith said the winner would need to shoot 20-under. But he remained direct in his disappointment that the courses won’t provide the test expected at the famed Sandbelt courses.

“Hopefully, it firms up a bit and becomes a bit of a tougher test, but I can’t really see that happening,” Smith said after his round.

Golf Australia refused to comment on the way the course had been prepared or the future of the dual-gender tournament, which is being co-hosted by Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Club.

No deal has been reached with the state government beyond this year for the Australian Open to remain there.

The government was noncommittal about the future of the event, which it says brings $1 billion per year to the Victorian economy through golf tourism.

“As Australia’s major events capital, we’re always working to secure major events that boost tourism and support jobs across the state,” a spokesperson told this masthead.

Green said she enjoyed the dual gender tournaments but made it clear that she would prefer it was played in February because of the LPGA schedule.

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“It does not work for the best female players to come down to Australia … If you want the best of the best to come and play for the trophy unfortunately this is not the time of the year,” Green said. “I do wish it would go back to [being played] in February just so we could have Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson and all the girls that did come down to Australia.”

Smith was good enough on Thursday to make the most of the conditions. Having started on the back nine at 7am, Smith hit the lead midway through his round when he hit six birdies in a row between the 14th and the first holes. He finished his round with two birdies.

“Finally woke up, the coffee worked, and I got on a good roll through the turn,” he said.

“The course is definitely gettable; the greens are soft and there wasn’t much wind out there this morning, a lot of those par fives played quite short.

“Six-under [par] is a really good score, but I’m sure it won’t be leading.”

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