Unlike the previous year, when the opening day was dogged by chilling weather, fans were treated to sublime summer temperatures and no wind this time.
The players responded too, with 74 of the 155 who teed it up going under the par of 72.
And local fans got all they wanted when David Smail, New Zealand's highest world ranked golfer, led the field until late in the day with a seven under 65.
Then, just when it looked like Smail would be the sole overnight leader, latecomers Robert Gates (Texas) and Andrew Dodt (Queensland) started to knock in putts from everywhere.
Gates, having his first start in a Nationwide Tour, birdied the last three holes, including a sweeping 10m putt on the 18th, to join Smail on top of the leaderboard.
Journalists, hoping to have their main story filed early for a change, were forced to revisit their laptops and rearrange their copy.
Then, just as they were poised to resend, word came through that Dodt was also on a roll.
Sure enough, he went one better than Gates, birdying the last four holes, sending reporters muttering under their breath back to their keyboards.
While Smail was happy with his putting (just 27 for the day), his co-leaders were adamant they could have done much better but for a little more good luck and a little less of the other.
The top half of the leaderboard was dominated by Australians and Americans with Phil Tataurangi, Josh Geary (both -3 69), Steve Alker and Grant Waite (70), Mahal Pearce, Doug Batty and Brad Iles (71) the best of the Kiwi contingent.
Crowd: 4478 (down 500).
Leader: Robert Gates (US) 132 (-12).
More sublime weather and, as Phil Tataurangi described conditions as absolutely perfect", it should have meant an avalanche of low scores on Friday.
Instead, most players, their focus firmly on making the all-important cut, seemed to take a more conservative approach and only 54 broke par.
The cut was 2 under 142 with a host of better names heading home early, notably seasoned Australians Peter Lonard, Peter Senior and Craig Parry.
Meanwhile, at the business end of proceedings, Gates and Dodt continued to dominate with Gates inching ahead to a one-stroke lead with a 5 under 67.
Two shots further back, American DJ Brigman, who had caught the eye on Thursday with his very deliberate pre-shot routine, sped his game up and shot a 69 to claim third place at 9.
It was not such a good day for Smail, who slid out of contention with a two over 74 to be at 5, fulfilling the fears he expressed at a press conference the day before the Open started about his form being likely to be affected by a lack of match fitness apparent recently.
This left Tataurangi to carry the New Zealand flag, climbing to a share of sixth place with a 68, one better than his first-day score.
Considering Tataurangi had been involved with the design of Michael Hill's private course, his low scoring was overdue at The Hills, having finished near the tail of the field in 2007 and missing the cut in 2009.
The only other Kiwis to make the cut were Geary and Iles (-6) and Gareth Paddison (-2).
Gates, a towering 1.98 with a smooth swing he modelled on another super-tall golfer, South African Ernie Els, continued to impress everyone with his laid-back attitude and not a sign of nerves in what was easily his biggest test so far.
Crowd: 6912 (down 285).
Leader: Robert Gates (US) 200, (-16)Gates and Dodt threatened to turn the Open into a two-horse race scoring 68 and 70 respectively on a day that began with an early shower and ended with high temperatures and strong crosswinds.
Gates and his pint-sized caddy, golf instructor Lauren Johnson, went about their business with the same calm, methodical approach, racking up birdie after birdie.
By the time they reached the 18th, one of the toughest holes anywhere on the Nationwide Tour, Gates had a four-shot lead and seemed to be on automatic pilot.
But, worried a tailwind might push his drive through the fairway and on to that dreadful, downhill rough about 160m out, he dropped down to a 3 wood off the tee.
The result, as he admitted later, was a surprisingly long second shot which he promptly plonked into a greenside pot bunker.
It left him with a daunting downhill shot to a tricky pin placing and this time the unflappable Gates could not escape, posting his only bogey of the round.
Even so, his 68 left him three ahead of Dodt, four ahead of Australian Michael Curtain (-11) and comfortably clear of three players on -9: Australians Mark Hensby - who shot the round of the day (6 under 66) - and Matthew Griffin, plus American Kevin Chappell.
Tataurangi remained the best of the local hopes with a 71 to reach 8 while Smail and Iles (-6) and Geary (-5) the closest of the rest.
But it seemed Gates had the tournament at his mercy, as long as he held his nerve on the final day.
