December 19-22
RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
AUD$1,500,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Lucas Herbert carded six birdies and an eagle at RACV Royal Pines Resort to share the first round lead at the Australian PGA Championship with compatriot Brett Rankin.

The pair are two of nine Australians inside the top 14, joined by five New Zealanders on three under par or better on the Gold Coast.

After two birdies and an eagle on his first three holes, 24-year-old Herbert, who has recently recovered from a wrist injury, rallied after three dropped shots as he made four gains on his back nine, including three on his final four holes from the sixth to the ninth, to sign for a five under par first round of 67.

“It was an interesting day. I usually set myself targets, numbers-wise, but I didn't today. I let everything go and enjoyed being out there. The course is in great shape, I just enjoyed being out on a nice golf course with one of my best mates on the bag. That was on my mind, I didn't feel like I got off to a great start, but then I didn't feel like I fell too far backwards because I wasn't concentrating on that either.

“My iron play was pretty good. That's improved quite a lot in the last few weeks. Good flight in the wind out here, it was a bit breezy on the back nine. It was solid. I didn't throw shots away with silly doubles, if I stop throwing shots away I'll go alright.”

He and Rankin sit one stroke ahead of five others, including Herbert's fellow European Tour members Nick Cullen, Min Woo Lee and Wade Ormsby.

Ryan Fox, who won his maiden European Tour title at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth in February, shares eighth place on three under par. The Kiwi could secure the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown this week, as he leads by almost AUD$75,000 from Zach Murray.

“I'm pretty happy. It's playing a bit tougher than previous years, the course has settled in a little bit and it's a little bit firmer out there. You can end up in some pretty bad spots. I played really solid tee to green. Got up and down on a couple of bad shots I hit and made a couple of putts – I probably left a couple out there as well but I'm very happy with three under.”

Major Champions Stewart Cink, winner of The Open at Turnberry ten years ago, and Adam Scott, who won the Masters in 2013, share 15th place on two under. Joining them on that number are Challenge Tour graduates Calum Hill, from Scotland and England's Jack Senior. Qualifying School graduates Aaron Cockerill and Johannes Veerman, of Canada and the United States respectively, and Damien Perrier, of France, are also two under par after the first round in Queensland.