Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee share the lead at the Australian PGA, while fellow Australia Curtis Luck is one shot off the pace after nailing a hole-in-one at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane.
Lee finished day one in second place after firing a sizzling seven-under 64 and picked up where he left off on Friday with birdies at the first and third to sit two-under on the day through six holes.
Queenslander Scott, a two-time Australian PGA champion, fired a first-round 66, before rolling in a birdies at the third, fourth, sixth and seventh to sit four-under through seven holes.
Lucas Herbert a share of third with Luck and Spain’s world No.1162 Joel Moscatel Nachshon, who shot a course-record equalling 63 on Thursday.
Cameron Smith managed just a single birdie and three bogeys to post a two-over 73 Thursday, leaving him 10 shots off the leader in a tie for 56th, and parred his first three holes on Friday.
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Marc Leishman shot three-under on Thursday and is now five-under after shooting 69 on Friday.
Australian world No. 1135 Ben Eccles charged up the leaderboard to second after shooting four-under through 12 holes, but a double bogey at the 13th and bogey at the 15th saw him post a 69 to sit T11.
LUCK FIRES FIRST HOLE IN ONE
There was no beer shower for Curtis Luck when he nailed a hole-in-one at the Australian PGA’s party hole early on Friday morning.
The purpose-built grandstands surrounding the short par three had around 200 people in them when the 27-year-old West Australian got the perfect amount of spin from his gap wedge off the tee.
A sellout crowd of 3000 fans are expected to fill those same stands at Royal Queensland across the weekend when a similar effort could get the same treatment as Chase Koepka when he nailed an ace at the “watering hole” during the LIV event in Adelaide in April.
But Luck had to settle for some enthusiastic applause and a high-five from a young fan as he walked to the 18th tee.
His effort helped lift Luck to towards the top of the leaderboard and he was six-under, just two behind Spanish leader Joel Moscatel, as he started his back nine.
Luck, who plies his trade on the US Korn Ferry Tour, gave his hole-in-one ball to Theo Smith, the four-year-old son of his caddie Duane Smith.
Theo’s mother, Australian professional golfer Sarah Jane Smith, was also among the “party hole” spectators fortunate enough to see Luck’s ace.
Party holes have become a must at golf tournaments looking to both attract more fans and take the game forward, copying the success of the Phoenix Open in the US, which attracts tens of thousands to the huge grandstands lining the 16th hole.
Adelaide’s inaugural LIV event was highlighted by Koepka’s stunning effort and the resultant celebrations with he and his player partners surrounded by beer cups after nailed the first and only hole-in-one during the tournament at the Grange Golf Club.
– Marco Monteverde, NCA NewsWire
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