European Tour

Australian PGA Championship 2018

November 29 - December 02

RACV Royal Pines Resort, Queensland, Australia

A$1,500,000

November 29 - December 02

RACV Royal Pines Resort, Queensland, Australia

A$1,500,000

Round 1

Home duo set the target Down Under

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

November 29, 2018

The home favourite has been in brilliant form of late, claiming his first professional win at the NSW Open and then earning a place at The Open Championship with a top-three finish at the Australian Open.

- Getty Images

“Got off to a flying start. Four under through about six holes or something like that. Played okay through the middle, nothing great, made a few good up and downs, and birdied the last, which is nice to shoot six under."

“I was pretty nervous starting off but starting like that settles nerves. I've been playing well, I've just got to keep on doing what I've been doing. Anything can happen. If one of the other guys wins, obviously they win, so I've just got to do what I can do and see what happens at the end of it.”

A bogey-free 66 on day one at RACV Royal Pines Resort moved him to six under alongside countryman Matt Jager and one clear of another Australian in Dimitrios Papadatos and South Korea's Jaewoong Eom.

“The eagles were a bonus obviously," said Jager, "but in saying that, just made some really nice swings. I put us in a position and just rolled a couple of putts in. You obviously don't expect to do that, but that was a bonus."

“There were lots of 12, 15, 20 footers that I had as well that just sort of slid by out there. I was giving myself lots of chances and I was lucky enough to roll those ones in on the par fives when it counted most.”

European Tour Members Adrian Otaegui and Jason Scrivener were then two off the lead alongside World Number 21 Marc Leishman, Mathew Goggin and Douglas Klein.

“I was feeling pretty good," said Leishman. "It just took a little bit of adjusting to get used to the difference in the speed of the greens. Quite nice, actually. They grew a lot during the day, and obviously playing very late, they were a little slow yesterday afternoon. But they had them good this morning and I proceeded to knock my first putt of the day eight feet past from not very far. Once I adjusted to that, it was fine."

“It was a good day. I didn't have my best stuff. Hit a few scrappy shots, but I think I birdied all the par fives and managed to shoot four under with not my best stuff, so I was happy with that. Hopefully I can play a little better tomorrow and do the same as I did last year and hopefully be right around the lead after two rounds."

India's Gaganjeet Bhullar, New Zealander Ryan Fox, Portuguese Ricardo Gouveia and English pair James Morrison and Tom Murray were in the group at three under, a shot clear of defending champion Cameron Smith and England's Andrew Johnston.