by BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Former British Open champion Cameron Smith and Jason Day, back Down Under for the first time in seven years, shot 4-under 67s on Thursday and were two shots out of the lead after the first round of the Australian tournament. PGA at Royal Queensland.
Smith, the 2022 British Open champion at St. Andrews, 2015 PGA Championship winner Day and fellow Australian Marc Leishman were part of a group behind first-round leader Elvis Smylie, the son of former Australian tennis pro Liz Smylie. He shot 65.
Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach, France’s Victor Perez, Chile’s Cristobal del Solar and Australia’s Matias Sanchez were tied for second with 66 seconds, one shot behind Smylie.
Min Woo Lee, who won last year’s tournament at Royal Queensland, shot 68 and was three shots behind the leader. Lee, Day and Smith were in the same opening group on Thursday at the joint PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour’s inaugural event for the 2025 season.
Smylie, 22, from the neighboring Gold Coast, said the tournament was like a “home game” for him.
“It’s only an hour away,” Smylie said. “I played a lot of golf here. I know the course pretty well and every aspect of my game is really good right now. I’m really comfortable with what I’m doing.
Day, 37, said he loved being in the featured group Thursday. He had not played in his home country since the 2017 Australian Open and he has not played in the Australian PGA since 2011.
“Obviously Cammy (Smith) is a big draw here. It’s nice to come out and watch Min,” Day said. “It’s amazing how far this guy goes. He seems to have a lot of control. He just had a few bad breaks and obviously a few swings, but overall he’s playing pretty solid.
“It’s always nerve-wracking to come back and try to defend,” Day added. “And then when you’re in the marquee group, there’s a lot of people watching and it’s always a little more nerve-wracking to come back as the defending champion.”
Day said Smith was not feeling well and Smith later confirmed the diagnosis.
“I think Tuesday here in the rain, then Wednesday in the rain, a big couple of weeks and all that, I think it just got to me a little bit,” Smith said. “Just a little whim…I’ll be right, I’ll live.”
Australian Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open champion who now spends most of his time designing golf courses, shot 69.
Lee (ranked No. 48) and Day (No. 31) are the only players in the world’s top 50 in this area. Smith is playing his third straight week in PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments – he closed with a 74 last week to lose a two-shot lead at the New South Wales Open, finishing tied for second and three shots from winner and LIV compatriot Lucas Herbert.
Many of these same players will travel to Melbourne next week for the Australian Open, also on the European Tour, which is played at the same time as the Women’s Australian Open on the famous Kingston Heath sand courses and Victoria.
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