Sebastian García leads the Australian PGA Championship before suspension due to storm
The Spaniard Sebastián García was in a dominant position at the Australian PGA Championship, driven by an exceptional performance in the first round. García, with solid play, placed himself at the top of the leaderboard. García, with impeccable play, achieved an impressive seven under par after completing 15 holes. His performance put him three strokes ahead of his competitors, before weather conditions forced a halt to the game. The threat of thunderstorms led the organizers to suspend the day’s events, requesting that spectators leave the field. The resumption of the game was in doubt due to adverse weather conditions. García arrived at the tournament in good form, after a victory in China and two results in the top five in his last five participations. With two par-5s to play, Garcia had the opportunity to improve his score even further when the round resumed. Although, with the “preferred lie” rules in use, the course record of eight under par (63) was not in play.
Sebastian Garcia.
Ryan Fox, Wenyi Ding, Tapio Pulkkanen and Anthony Quayle, who had Steve Williams as a caddie, shared the lead in the clubhouse with four under par (67). Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee were one stroke behind, with rounds of 68. Cameron Smith, three-time winner, birdied his last hole, finishing with two under par, as did defending champion Elvis Smylie. Marc Leishman and Cam Davis were among the afternoon players who were at two under par with holes to play. There were two holes-in-one, Kazuma Kobori with his shot on the 17th hole and Daniel Gale, who won a BMW valued at almost $300,000 with his effort on the 11th hole. Smith revealed the intense work he has done to recover his short game. Smith, a three-time winner and former world number 2, began his round at 2:45 in the morning and signed a card of two under par (69) to start the $2.5 million event. Smith’s putting and approach shone when he won the Open in 2022, but he has been searching for that magic ever since. On Thursday, Smith made 10 one-putts and a total of 26. The golfer thought the hard work he had done since returning to Brisbane might be paying off.Lee, on the final hole, saw his approach hit the flagstick, forcing him to settle for par. Scott, a two-time winner of the event before returning to Royal Queensland in Brisbane five years ago, bogeyed his 1st and 18th holes. Lee lamented “a good problem” when his approach hit the flag, while Scott indicated that his consistent approach would be the mode of operation heading into the weekend.I made a lot of good six-to-eight-foot putts, but I didn’t make anything beyond that all day, so it was good to see that one go in,” he said about his birdie on the ninth hole.
Cameron Smith
“Once you get away from the hole, the grain changes, breaks, there is a lot of movement. It’s important not to get frustrated.It’s a tough field to make a lot of putts unless you’re putting it close all the time,” Scott said, seeking his first 72-hole victory since February 2020.
Adam Scott
