Peter has finished with an opening round of 67 at the J.B. Were Australian Masters, a strong finish over the closing holes at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne moving him into a share of 3rd position at the end of the morning's play on day one.

Peter recorded the almost compulsory birdie at the opening hole but then immediately gave it back at the second. A birdie at the 4th saw him turn in one under 34 but three consecutive birdies through the 14th, 15th and 16th holes moved him towards the top of the leaderboard.

The first of those came at the par three 14th where knocked his tee shot to three feet. At the short par four 15th he hit a poor pitch but then holed from 25 feet and at the 16th hit a good tee shot to 18 feet and holed that to move to 4 under.

Standing on the 18th tee he needed one more birdie to move to the top of the leaderboard but a poor drive prevented him from reaching the green at the short par five and par was the best he could do.

It was a solid start all the same.

Peter will play in the afternoon group tomorrow.

Photo; Peter surveys his second from the right hand rough on the 18th

Peter has arrived back in Australia after a disappointing season on the Nationwide Tour but he is buoyed by the news that he will likely get several early season starts on the Nationwide Tour next season.

"The way it has been explained to me at this stage," said Peter on Wednesday, "is that I will possibly get as many as six starts early in the season and then it is up to me to perform. If I can earn some money in those events then the chances of me playing a full season are improved.

Peter was really annoyed with himself prior to Stage Two of the PGA Tour Qualifying School for next season as he hurt himself when overdoing a session in the gym and hurt his back.

"I tried to free it up by continuing to stretch it in the last few days leading to Stage two getting underway and the continued to use the roll ball immediately before. I took some medication to ease the pain and it lasted ofr a day or so but on the second and third days it was causing me grief again."

"I played really well on the final day and shot 5 under but in fact felt it could have been much lower and to miss out by a shot was very annoying.

Peter has been practising at his home club in Sydney this week and will play next week's J.B. Were Masters at the Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne, an event he has won twice previously. 

After the disappointment of last week's second stage of qualifying for the 2012 PGA Tour, where he missed out on advancing to the final by a  narrow one shot, Peter has made the decision to not rush back to the PGA Championship in Australia but rather get himself organised to head back home at a more leisurely pace and prepare to play the Australian Masters in mid December.

"Ideally I would love to be playing at Coolum as I love the event and the resort," said Peter from Orlando today. "But realistically there is too much to get organised and I had a bit of a back issue last week so will get ready to play at the Victoria Golf Club.

"Last week was a big disappointment but I just have to get on with it. I was encouraged by my last round of 67 but it fell just one short which was really frustrating given the ordinary scores I shot in the middle two rounds.

"I am really looking forward to playing at home again at the Masters." 

It was a valiant effort but Peter's final round of 67 at Stage Two of qualifying for next year's PGA Tour has fallen just one shot short of the required mark.

After a great start to the event at the Hombre Golf Club in Panama City in Florida, things went pear shaped in rounds two and three but knowing he needed something special today if he was to grab one of the top 21 and ties spots at the Final Stage from his venue, he almost pulled it off.

It may be that Peter can now get back to Australia to play this week's PGA Championship at Hyatt Regency Coolum, an event he has won on three previous occasions. Something that he would have preferred not to have been able to do admittedly but a chance to enjoy a less stressful week if he does make it.