CULBURRA Beach's Owen Wright has struggled in the opening round of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, stop number two on the 2019 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).
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Held at the event's backup site, Winkipop - a location known for its light onshore winds and shifting peaks - in bumpy three-to-four foot (1-1.2 metre) waves, the Culburra Beach Boardrider finished third in his seeding round heat.
Wright could only managed a two-wave score of 8.20 (4.47 and 3.73) to finish third behind Brazil's Jadson Andre (12.23) and France's Jeremy Flores (9.97) - seeing the South Coast surfer move into the elimination round.
While Wright's brother Mikey is yet to hit the water in the opening round, where he battle Japan's Kanoa Igarashi and Brazil's Peterson Crisanto, when surfing resumes.
Gerroa's Sally Fitzgibbons, fresh off a third place finish at the Gold Coast, will take on France's Johanne Defay and United States' Sage Erickson in round one of the women's competition.