Stephenson shot a 6-under-par 67 to lead a group of five players following a round that featured eight birdies, the leader revealing post-round the thinking behind his equipment switch the night before the opening round.

“I’ve been tossing up between two putters this week. I had the Scotty Cameron and the L.A.B. which I’ve been using for about eight months,” Stephenson said.

“I played the practice round with the Scotty yesterday and then woke up this morning and said ‘nah, put the L.A.B. in’. It was a pretty last-minute thing, but I just went back to what was comfortable and putted pretty well for most of the day.”

Based at nearby Gainsborough Greens, Stephenson caught fire on the front nine, with birdies at the third, fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth to turn in just 31 shots.

His back nine started with a couple of bogeys but three birdies in a row from the 13th hole ensured the 32-year-old would be the overnight leader.

“It was relatively stress-free. Obviously pretty good scoring conditions today with no wind and pretty soft,” Stephenson said.

While the Queensland PGA Associates Championships has been dominated by players from the south-east corner of the state, Beau Lavery, from Rowes Bay Golf Club in Townsville, is flying the flag for the northerners.

He is part of the group of four players at 4-under-par following a round that was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 12th.

Also firing 69s on day one were Bronson White (Noosa), Conor Whitelock (Brisbane), and Lachlan Chamberlain (Gold Creek).

With the support of Brisbane-based concreting company Zigcrete, this year’s championship boasts minimum total prize money of $47,500 and has become one of the most prestigious tournaments for those on the path to becoming a PGA Professional. 

The second round gets underway at 7am Tuesday.

Leaderboard

67: Damon Stephenson

69: Bronson White, Conor Whitelock, Beau Lavery, Lachlan Chamberlain

70: Jack Wright, Caerwyn Ross, Kane Whitelock

71: Justin Morley