BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Former British Open champion Cameron Smith birdied three of his first four holes Saturday for a 6-under 65 and was tied for the second-round lead at the rain-shortened Australian PGA championship at Royal Queensland.
Heavy rain showers and an unplayable course on Friday forced the second round to be abandoned and made the joint Australasian PGA and European Tour event a 54-hole tournament scheduled to end Sunday.
Smith, the 2022 British Open winner at St. Andrews, had a 36-hole total of 10-under 132, level with first-round leader Elvis Smylie, who shot 67. Smylie is the son of former Australian tennis pro Liz Smylie
“This is my home event, this tournament’s always been really nice to me,” said Smith. “It’s a really cool environment which is probably why I play so well, but you’ve got to go out and do it.”
The 22-year-old Smylie said “every part of my game is in pretty good shape.”
“As soon as I was in tricky positions, I did a really good job getting out of it without doing too much damage..” Smylie said.
Smith’s LIV tour mate and fellow Australian Marc Leishman, who shot 66, was in third place and a stroke behind the leading pair.
Jason Day, making his first appearance back home in Australia in seven years, shot 69 and was four strokes behind Smith and Smylie. Min Woo Lee, who won last year’s tournament at Royal Queensland, had a 73 and made the cut on the number at 2-under, eight strokes behind.
Lucas Herbert, an Australian who also plays on the LIV Tour, shot 66, and 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy had a 68. They were at 5-under and five strokes behind.
Herbert, who won last week’s New South Wales Open on the Australasian tour, overtaking Smith on the final day, wasn’t happy with his round Saturday. He was upset over missed putts and “loose” fairway options on a soggy riverside course.
“Feels weird to sit here and complain about shooting 5-under, but here I am,” he said.
The Australian PGA is the first event of the 2025 European Tour season.
Next week, many of the same players will travel to Melbourne for the Australian Open, also on the European Tour. It is being played concurrently with the Women’s Australian Open at famed sandbelt courses Kingston Heath and Victoria.
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