Andrew Dodt came home in 31 to get to seven
under and set the clubhouse target on day one of the Australian PGA
Championship at RACV Royal Pines Resort.

The event – which is being co-sanctioned by
the European Tour for the second season – marked the start of the 2017 Race to
Dubai, with 2016 Challenge Tour winner Jordan Smith having the honour of
hitting the first tee-shot.

It was two-time European Tour winner Dodt
who stole the show, though, carding eight birdies and a single bogey to open up
a two-shot lead over New Zealander Ryan Fox and American Julian Suri.

World Number Seven Adam Scott – who has
finished first and second in his last two appearances at the event – was then
in the group of players three shots off the lead.

There was not a long wait for the first
hole-in-one of the season either, as Jarrod Lyle holed his tee-shot on the
fifth with a seven iron from 179 yards to delight the home crowd as the ball
bounced just short of the green, took two more hops and rolled into the cup.

Home favourite Dodt started on the tenth
and turned in 34 with three birdies and a bogey but really came to life on the
front nine. He birdied the first, third and fifth to join a four-way tie for
the lead and then broke away with closing gains on the eighth and ninth.

Fox is embarking on his maiden European
Tour season after finishing fourth on last season’s Challenge Tour and he
turned in 33 with birdies on the third, fourth and ninth. A short putt on the
15th brought another birdie and a further gain on the 17th saw him set the
target.

Suri narrowly missed out on a card at the
Qualifying School after finishing 32nd but certainly looked at home on his
European Tour debut. He turned in 35 but then picked up four birdies in five
holes from the tenth to jump into a share of second.

Starting on the back nine, Scott showed
some intent early, getting onto the par five 12th in two and then rolling in a
40-foot putt to jump out to two under. A bogey then came on the 18th before he
birdied the seventh, eighth and ninth to catapult himself up the leaderboard.

Fellow Australians Nick Cullen, Geoff
Drakeford, and Todd Sinnott were also at four under alongside Thailand’s
Natipong Srithong and Englishman Paul Waring, who had two eagles in his 68.

Home players Rohan Blizard, Daniel Nisbet,
Peter O’Malley and Michael Sim, Kiwi Danny Lee and Swede Niclas Johansson were
all at three under.

UPDATE: Due to dangerous weather, there will be no more play today. The remainder of round one will re-commence tomorrow at 5:30am. Second round to commence at 7:00am.