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Campbell poised for more history at Queensland PGA


A rookie with two pro starts to his name and two amateurs lead the way as Cameron Smith struggled on day two of the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club.

Defending champion Phoenix Campbell added a 4-under 68 to his 6-under round on Thursday to take the 36-hole lead outright at 10-under, one-stroke clear of 19-year-old Gold Coast amateur Billy Dowling (69).

New South Wales amateur Declan O’Donovan (67) matched the equal best score of the day to climb into third position at 7-under, Smith two strokes further back at 5-under after a day in which he had to play from penalty areas on three separate occasions.

Smith’s shoes had to come off for his second shot at the par-3 11th but a late birdie at the par-5 17th dragged him back to level par for his round.

He will have to chase down Campbell and Dowling over the weekend, particularly excited at the prospect of potentially being paired with Dowling, a Cameron Smith Scholarship winner two years ago, in the final round.

While conscious of the threat posed by Smith, 23-year-old Campbell insists he won’t be looking backwards as he seeks to become the first back-to-back winner since Lucas Parsons in 1997-1998.

“I can’t really worry about what everyone else is doing,” said Campbell, who became the first amateur to win the Queensland PGA in its 92-year history 12 months ago.

“I’ve got to just stick to my game. That’s all I can control.

“I didn’t play quite as well as I did yesterday. I missed a couple of greens and made some really good up-and-downs, which kind of kept me in it.

“It wasn’t my best stuff, but I hung in there all day.”

Tied for 15th a year ago, Dowling has also shown no signs of being overawed by the occasion.

Birdies at 14 and 18 were the highlights of Dowling’s 3-under round as he applies a sound strategy that belies his youthfulness.

“For me, you don’t need to try and force birdies,” said Dowling, who shot 59 at his home course of Surfers Paradise Golf Club in March last year.

“If you can just minimise the bogeys, then birdies will come.

“That’s just how I go about it. Other people might be different and then you see what happens at the end of the day.”

Despite more favourable conditions than the afternoon wave experienced in Round 1, Smith struggled to generate momentum early in his round on Friday.

He hit his tee shot at the par-5 fifth into the water on his way to bogey but got it back with a superb tee shot that danced around the hole at the par-3 eighth.

Smith’s drive at the par-4 ninth came to rest in bark left of the fairway as he made a second bogey but was back to square soon after with birdie on 10.

A bogey on 11 was countered with a birdie at 12, his birdie putt on 13 lipped out on the left edge and his par putt on 14 caught the right edge and also failed to fall.

A fourth birdie of the day on 17 was enough to get back to 5-under and in the second-last group on Saturday.

“It probably wasn’t as bad as what it looked,” said Smith. “It actually felt pretty good.

“It just seems like there’s a lot of birdie chances out there if you take driver. It’s what I did yesterday and kind of worked out and today not so much.

“The putter was a little bit cold. Hit a lot of lips but still feel like I played some pretty solid golf.

“Just wasn’t my day kind of thing.”

O’Donovan emerged as the real surprise packet in Round 2, the Avondale Golf Club member playing his final 12 holes in 6-under to play his way into the final group.

Winner of the NSW Amateur earlier this year, O’Donovan said he drew on Smith’s slow start on Thursday to stage a fightback of his own.

“Yesterday Cam was 1-over through six and finished 5-under,” said O’Donovan.

“I was 1-over through six and thinking, If Cam can do it, hopefully I can do it, too.

“I definitely got it going. Played some of my best golf today.”

Play was suspended for just over 80 minutes late on Friday due to an electrical storm, hail the size of golf balls lashing the course. The round resumed at 5:15pm AEST and was completed just after 6pm.

Round 3 will begin at 8:22am AEST on Saturday with the final group of Campbell, Dowling and O’Donovan to tee off at 11:45am.

The final two rounds will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo on both Saturday and Sunday from 11:30am-4:30pm AEST.


A conservative approach to his first 18 holes at Box Hill Golf Club paid dividends for Mark Panopoulos who claimed the Gorilla Ladders Box Hill Pro-Am today.

The Concord-based professional shot a round of 3-under-par 68 to beat a pair of Victorians, Cameron John and Ryan Lynch, by a stroke to claim his second adidas PGA Pro-Am Series title for 2024.

Panopoulos has another five pro-ams on his schedule before he attempts to qualify for the $800,000 NSW Open at Murray Downs later this month and has the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School as a longer term target.

Lynch’s round was the best of the morning field, while John birdied his final hole to grab a share of second.

HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED

The winner’s scorecard featured five birdies, including one on his opening hole, the par-4 eighth, and one to finish at the par-5 seventh to claim the outright victory.

His only dropped shots came at the par-3 11th and at the longest par-4 at Box Hill, the 423m second.

WHAT THE WINNER SAID

Panopoulos: “I played solid all day after getting off to a good start on my first hole. I hadn’t played here before I was just focussing on keeping the ball in play and not pushing it too much.

“Sometimes that works for me, where I don’t get too aggressive and play the safer and smarter shots.

“I had a look at the scoreboard with five or six to play, I like to do that, and realised I had a couple of par-5s in my last few holes and knew I might have some chances there. Nice to have them there as a back-up.”

LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN

68: Mark Panopoulos (NSW)

69: Cameron John (Vic); Ryan Lynch (Vic)

70: Harvey Young (Vic); Matt Dowling (Vic)

71: Nathan Kungl (Vic); Jack Chrystie (Vic)

72: Cameron Kelly (Vic); Josh Younger (Vic); Jayden Cripps (NSW); Wade Lowrie (Vic); Caleb Bovalina (Vic)

NEXT UP

The Gippsland swing for the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series begins with the Sporting Legends Pro-Am at Sale on Sunday followed by events at Trafalgar, Traralgon and Yarram


Scott Barr has taken the first-round lead at the New South Wales Senior Open with a stunning 7-under-par 65 at Thurgoona Country Club Resort.

The West Australian (pictured) was at his determined best in the morning half of the field, the only player in the to remain bogey-free on a day that was perfect for scoring.

Despite entering the tournament somewhat under the radar, Barr’s experience on the Thurgoona course is proving valuable. He finished 15th in 2022 while battling a wrist injury and was runner-up to Adam Henwood last year.

Off to a solid start early, Barr came alive on the back nine, dialling in a string of brilliant wedges to set up birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 17th holes. However, his birdie on the challenging third hole and clutch par saves on the 16th and 18th allowed him to keep his momentum.

“I feel like I know the course a bit now, the lines off the tees you learn a little bit more each time, and I feel like I know the shots required around here a bit more.

“There were three or four situations out there when I was happy to walk away with a par, where I managed to hole out to keep the round rolling.”

“Is it unfinished business? Yeah, sort of, but it would just be nice to win,” a delighted Barr said post-round.

Barr sits two shots ahead of Victorian David McKenzie, who posted a 5-under 67. The Victorian recovered from a difficult start, rallying with six birdies in his final seven holes.

“I’ve actually been playing well for a while but haven’t really gotten any reward for my good shots, so it was good to see a few go in there at the end,” McKenzie said after his round.

Other contenders include Peter Lonard (4-under), a two-time Australian Open champion, alongside Legends tour rookie Terry Pilkadaris and the evergreen Eaun Walters.

Three players – Chris Taylor, Murray Lott and Grahame Stinson – are at -3, while another rookie, Mat Goggin, runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open, heads a group of seven at -2.

Fifty professionals plus ties will make the all-important final round after tomorrow’s second round, with Sunday’s finale broadcast LIVE nationally on the 7PLUS digital platform.


All the action from Cam Smith’s second round at Nudgee.

And we’re away

Cam Smith’s second round is underway at the 2024 Queensland PGA Championship.

After a 5-under 67 in round one, Smith is still one shot back of leaders Phoenix Campbell, amateur Billy Dowling and Declan O’Donovan.

Solid start in front of huge crowds at Nudgee

Starting on Nudgee’s front nine today, Smith has begun his day with three solid pars and remains at 5-under for the championship.

Here we go on the fourth

Smith has piped his drive over the water on the fourth which sets him up to reach the par-5 in two.

With long way left in, Smith launched driver off the deck for his second, finding the reeds left of the green.

A masterful chip on gives him a 10-foot look at his first birdie of the day.

The birdie attempt just slides by and Smith taps in for par. No harm done through four holes.

Drama on the fifth

Smith’s tee shot has found the pond to the right of the fifth fairway and he has had to go back almost 40m to take a drop.

Coach and caddie for the week, Grant Field works hard to get a number for Smith who is now left with a 3-wood in from tight rough.

Smith’s 3-wood has gone long left of the green and he now lies three.

Chipping up from the back of the green, Smith left himself 12-feet for par which he missed, tapping in for bogey.

1-over on his day, Smith drops back to 4-under for the championship, now 3-shots back of the leaders.

More trouble on the sixth

Smith’s tee shot on the par-4 sixth found the left rough, and then his second lies left of the green in the light rough, requiring another up and down for par.

A clutch chip leaves Smith with a tap-in par, limiting the damage.

Crowds are out in force watching the Queenslander

Photo: Dylan Evans

Back in business on the seventh

After a monster drive on the par-4 seventh, Cam finds himself pin high off the green with just a pitch over the bunker left in.

Just clearing the bunker, Smith has left himself with 15-feet for birdie.

Another one just slides by on the left, Smith taps in for a stress-free par.

Almost an ace on the eighth

Smith’s tee shot on par 3 8th dances around the hole before coming to rest six feet away, one of his best looks at birdie so far today.

It’s in! Smith gives the crowd something to cheer about as he rolls in his birdie putt on eight to get back to even on his round.

Scrambling again on the ninth

After his drive found the bark chips left of the ninth fairway, Smith’s second has come up 15m short of the green, requiring another clutch up and down to save par.

After a decent approach, Smith has 6 feet left for his par.

Another par putt slides just by on the left edge as Smith makes the turn 1-over on his day, and 4-under for the championship as a storm is brewing behind him over Brisbane.

How about these shots from Dylan Evans.

Highs and lows to start the the back nine

After a birdie to get things going on the tenth, Smith was forced to take his shoes and socks off to play his second from the water on the 11th.

After a decent recovery, Smith missed the 12-footer for par, tapping in for bogey and giving his gained shot straight back.

Bounce back on the 12th

After a perfect tee shot on the short par-4 12th, Smith was able to nestle his pitch to just outside a foot and converted the birdie putt.

He gets back to even on his day and 5-under for the championship, four shots back of leader Phoenix Campbell.

Riding the wave on the 13th

Smith bombs another drive to the front of the green on 13, leaving a perfect line in to back left pin.

Smith’s itch comes up 5 feet short of the hole, a good look at birdie to go under-par on his day.

BRUTAL! Smith’s birdie putt lips out hard the left edge, he taps it in for par.

Safely in the fairway on the 14th

Driving down the right side, Smith finds the fairway on the par-4 14th, setting up a strong chance to knock one close and set up another birdie.

After his approach trickled off a knob of the green on the right side, Smith faces a very tricky up and down to save par.

A flop shot left Smith 8-feet for par, his putt lipping out on the right side this time.

Tapping in for bogey, Smith’s round is back to 1-over, 4-under for the week.

Stroke of luck on the 15th

It looked as if Smith’s drive had found the water on the 15th, but it just hangs on, he was forced to pitch back to the fairway though.

Smith has managed to get his third up on the front edge of the green on the par-5, and has 18-feet for an outside birdie chance.

Just missing on the left side, Smith taps in for par, likely a relieving result after thinking his drive was in the water off the tee.

Go time on the 16th

Smith’s tee shot is in the perfect position down the left side of 16, opening up a great angle into the back right pin position.

Smith safely made par.

Finishing strong

Smith made a final birdie on the par-5 17th to get his round back to even, and finished with a par on the tough par-3 18th.

Starting and finishing his day at 5-under, Smith limited a lot of the damage today, however the overnight leaders both continued scoring, and Smith now finds himself five shots off the pace heading into the weekend.


In a new offering for the golf industry, the PGA Institute are launching its new Workforce Development Solution. The program, which comprises a comprehensive suite of programs, services, and resources offered by the PGA Institute and PGA of Australia, has been designed to meet the learning and development needs of golf clubs, facilities, places to play, and businesses within the industry.

As the only golf Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in Australia, the PGA Institute is dedicated to ensuring the golf industry’s current and future workforce is equipped with the essential knowledge and skills to thrive across all facets of the sport.

The new offering is aimed at improving workforce performance, enhancing skills, retaining top talent, and driving the overall success of a club, facility or place to play, and is available in three packages tailored to an individual organisation’s needs and capabilities.

PGA of Australia’s General Manager – Membership and Education, Geoff Stewart says he is proud that the PGA of Australia is in a position to provide meaningful training for the benefit of Australia’s golf industry.

“At the PGA of Australia, we pride ourselves on ensuring we deliver training and education that creates opportunities for our members and those working in the broader golf industry, and our new Workforce Development Solution offering ensures that we continue to meet that objective,” he said.

“Benefits range from an increase in the ability to attract talent and retain quality staff, to building staff capability and productivity, to providing an increased awareness of best practice across the golf industry.

“This new initiative delivered by the PGA Institute is a comprehensive program tailored for the betterment of Australian clubs and businesses, and thus the country’s golf industry as a whole.”

Included in the Workforce Development Solution is a robust Training Needs Analysis (TNA) conducted by PGA Institute Learning Specialist, as well as access to a wide range of qualifications, course and programs offered by both the PGA Institute and the PGA of Australia.

For further details on the Workforce Development Solution, a breakdown of the different package options, and information on how to apply, CLICK HERE.


Defending champion Phoenix Campbell and former Cameron Smith Scholarship winner Billy Dowling have ended day one at the top of the leaderboard at the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club.

Brisbane golf fans were out early on Thursday morning to see Smith play the first of four events on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this season, the 2022 Open champion making an inauspicious start by hitting his opening tee shot into the water at the par-4 10th.

A bogey there would be his only dropped shot of the day, Smith’s round of 5-under 67 sparked by some superb putting and ball-striking that yielded six birdies in the space of nine holes around the turn.

After leading his team to a pro-am win the day prior, it was enough for Smith to draw within one of the lead by day’s end, Campbell and Dowling both making good use of the favourable morning conditions to set the early pace.

It is familiar territory for Campbell, who birdied the 72nd hole 12 months ago to become the first amateur to win the Queensland PGA Championship in its 92-year history.

He has returned to Nudgee two starts into his professional career and with a runner-up finish a week ago, embracing the extra attention Smith’s inclusion brings.

“It’s kind of new territory for me this week,” admitted Campbell, who played in the group immediately ahead of Smith.

“Coming back and a few more people know my name and obviously playing in front of Cam.

“It is all just a little bit of an accumulation of everything, but I really like that nervous energy.

“I definitely play really well in front of crowds so I’m just going to keep using that into the weekend.”

Unlike Campbell, Dowling didn’t bank a cheque for his top-10 finish in South Australia last week but also has strong memories to draw on at Nudgee.

Described by Smith as “one of the shyest kids ever” when he was a scholarship winner in 2022, Dowling was tied for 15th at last year’s Queensland PGA.

His 6-under 66 on Thursday got its kick-start when he hit 4-iron from 197 metres into the par-5 fifth and made the 40-foot putt for eagle.

“It sets you up for a good round,” said Dowling of his early eagle.

“It gets you a few under and then it’s like a little backbone for the rest of the round.

“And then my putting felt pretty good after that. I don’t expect to hole everything but standing over the ball with a putter in the hand, the stroke feels good and then you just believe you can hole more.”

His opening tee shot aside – “Just a really poor shot” – Smith quickly found his stride.

He narrowly missed a birdie chance from close range on 13 and then holed a putt from 25 feet for par on the difficult 14th after hitting his second shot from the left rough into the front bunker, his ball semi-plugged two-thirds up the face.

“That was probably the moment for me. I mean, 2-over early is never a really good start,” said Smith of his sand save.

Twice he left birdie chances just short before converting from 22 feet at the par-4 16th and then getting up-and-down from 75 metres at the par-5 17th.

Tapping into his flair for the creative, Smith hooked one through the trees to set up birdie at the par-5 fourth, two-putted for birdie at the par-5 fifth and chipped in for birdie at the par-4 sixth.

“That’s kind of a really solid round,” Smith added.

“I think it is a really gettable golf course but, given the conditions with how windy and gusty it gets, it’s just hard to kind of control your ball. And you’re left with a bunch of 30, 40-footers it seems.

“It’s nice to roll a couple of those in. If you don’t, you’re kind of back there at 2 or 3-under, and that’s a really solid round too.”

Two late bogeys was all that prevented Ben Eccles (69) from joining Smith at 5-under, the Victorian producing the best of the afternoon rounds played in winds gusting up to 47km/h.

“That back nine, particularly 16, 17 and 18, absolutely brutal,” said Eccles, who is also coached by Smith’s coach, Grant Field.

“I’m pleased with that round in that wind today. Three-under is a good round around here, even without the wind, so I’m pleased with that.”

Although he signed for a 3-over 75, West Australian Brady Watt produced one of the highlights of the day, making a hole-in-one with gap wedge from 138 metres at the par-3 third.

Round 2 begins at 6am AEST on Friday with Smith to tee off at 11:05am AEST.

Photography: Candice High


Two weeks ago, nearly 500 attendees converged on the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre for the 2024 Golf Summit.

Over two days, the Golf Summit brought together a diverse range of attendees from all corners of the golf industry to lead, grow and innovate within Australian Golf.

Featuring world class keynote speakers, attendees were able to learn from an expert in their field, as well as use the Golf Summit as a chance to network and share ideas with others in the industry.

Keynote speakers included NRL legend Billy Slater, Vice President of Engineering at PING Paul Wood, Paralympian Elle Steele, and NBL CEO David Stevenson, among many others.

For PGA members, the Golf Summit was a chance to learn about the latest global coaching trends and connect with fellow members from around the country, while keynote speaker and world-renowned golf coach Will Robins was a particular hit.

One PGA member remarked after the Golf Summit: “Seeing Will Robins in person was by far the best thing the PGA has done coaching wise since I’ve been a PGA member.”

PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said he was pleased to see so many PGA members from across the country together at the Golf Summit.

“To have PGA members make up close to 40 percent of the Golf Summit attendees was incredible to see, and demonstrated the hunger our dedicated members have to always continue learning,” he said.

“Working collaboratively with Golf Australia on this event was a living example of how connected the golf industry is in Australia, and the positive impact this has was evident in the room.”

For attendees from Australia’s clubs and facilities and broader industry, the Golf Summit provided an opportunity to take learnings away and ensure facilities thrive into the future, with Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland praising the quality and variety of speakers.

“There truly was something for everyone at the Golf Summit,” he said. “From the impacts of Artificial Intelligence on the golf industry, to environmental trends and the importance of golf courses to urban biodiversity, every attendee could take learnings away.

“The power and importance of bringing the entire Australian golf industry together cannot be understated, and I look forward to working with the PGA of Australia on future Golf Summits for the betterment of Australian Golf.”

 For information about future Golf Summits, REGISTER HERE to be the first to know.

Photos from the 2024 Golf Summit can be accessed HERE.


Jeff Guan has provided a detailed account of the sickening injury that has cost him complete vision in his left eye and derailed his promising career.

One of Australian golf’s brightest young talents, Guan suffered a serious fracture to his left cheekbone and eye socket after being struck by a ball during a pro-am late last month, just a week after making his debut on the US PGA TOUR.

In a heartfelt statement (below), Guan explained the sequence of events leading to the accident, describing how a routine moment on the course turned into a nightmare.

“As my group teed off on the third tee, I drove up to my playing partner’s ball,” he recalled.

After playing his shot, Guan turned toward the cart and was putting his club back in his bag when disaster struck.

“The instant ringing and pain rushed to my head, and I dropped to the ground.”

The severity of the injury was immediately apparent. Guan was rushed to Moruya Hospital and then later airlifted to Canberra for emergency treatment.

Guan underwent two surgeries in quick succession, with specialists at the Sydney Eye Hospital working tirelessly to save his damaged eye.

The injury is complex. Besides the loss of sight, multiple fractures occurred around the lower eye socket, extending into the cheekbone and forehead. Guan will likely require more surgery in the coming months to repair some of the damage.

After weeks in intensive care in unimaginable pain and anxiety about his future, Guan revealed that despite a brief glimmer of hope when his eye pressure stabilised, he had already lost complete vision in his left eye.

The road to recovery will be long and uncertain, with an estimated six to 12 months of healing required. Doctors have told the 20-year-old he cannot even think about swinging a club for at least six months.

The accident has left the Golf Australia Rookie Squad member reeling both physically and emotionally, as the realisation his years of dedication and dreams of a career on tour are now in jeopardy.

“I was utterly distraught… It has come at a tremendous cost and has significantly affected me and my family.

“How in the world am I supposed to recover, return, and be the same player I was?” Guan said in his statement.

Despite the uncertainty, Guan expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support he received from family, friends, and the golfing community.

“I don’t think I would be where I am right now without all the encouragement,” he said, adding that he remains determined to overcome this trauma with his characteristic resolve.

“I will be back,” he vowed. And if Guan’s renowned perseverance is any indication, this story is far from over.

An Australian Sports Foundation fundraising page has been established to help Jeffrey. All donations to ASF projects are tax-deductible.

Donate here – Support for Jeffrey Guan

Jeff Guan Statement:

As most of you are aware, I was hit in the left eye with a golf ball during a pro-am last month.

Many of you want to know what happened, as there has been very little good news over the past four weeks. I have been waiting for the assessment report on my eye to release information.

I remember this: As my whole group teed off on the third tee, my playing partner and I (whom I shared the cart with) hit our drives on the right-hand side of the fairway.

I drove up to his ball, and he hit his second shot (about 30 metres behind my ball).

After he had hit, there was no sign of anyone or anything on our side behind us, so I drove us to my ball. It took roughly 45 seconds for me to prepare and execute my shot.

As I turned towards the cart to put my club away, that was when I was struck.

The instant ringing and pain rushed to my head, and I dropped to the ground. Voices sounded pretty muffled, and the next thing I knew, I was in an ambulance being transported to a hospital with skin patches containing high doses of Fentanyl.

I was taken to Moruya Hospital for scans, then airlifted to Canberra for immediate treatment whilst also being assessed by an eye specialist.

I had my first surgery that night; I was in unbearable pain, and anxiety about my future was swirling in my mind.

A day later, I was transferred to the Sydney Eye Hospital to undergo another surgery, more tests and further treatment.

The best eye specialists and nurses were arranged for my immediate appointment. After the second surgery, I spent the next two weeks in intensive care. This stay was critical to make sure my eyeball was stable.

My eye pressure was way too high to be in any state of ordinary, and I had lost vision completely in my left eye.

I couldn’t do much; sleeping was difficult, let alone walking or eating. Any activity that required energy meant I was in excruciating pain.

It wasn’t until the third week that I received the news that my eye pressure suddenly decreased towards the norm, and the eye looked much more stable.

Though this was the first piece of positive news, my doctors told me that my injury was severe, with several fractures around the eye socket, and recovery would take at least six months to a year.

During my nights in hospital, I almost drowned in thoughts about the injury and my future in the sport. Not only was I utterly distraught by the news I had received, but the whole situation made me very depressed and somewhat angry.

As you can imagine, this whole situation not only came at a tremendous cost but has also significantly affected me and my family emotionally and mentally.

The thought of all my years of hard work and training, plus my family’s sacrifice, had just been thrown out the window.

The frustration is unbearable. Why did this happen?

How in the world am I supposed to recover, return, and be the same player I was, or even better?

I had no idea. I was devastated and felt so lost.

It didn’t help that I was in constant pain, and the days spent in the hospital felt endless.

Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have a huge support group around me, and I can’t thank all of them enough for the support I have received in recent weeks.

I wouldn’t be where I am right now without all the encouragement and assistance I have received.

As a kid, I have always had a lot of perseverance and persistence.

I will continue to work hard and do my best to achieve my dream.

These four weeks have been the toughest of my life, but I am stronger mentally and will be ready to conquer any obstacle in the future.

Again, I can’t thank everyone enough who reached out to help rebuild my strength physically and emotionally.

I will be back.

Much love, always, Jeff.


Follow the 2022 Open champion, Cam Smith, as he returns to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia for the first of four tournaments this season.

His opening round at the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee Golf Club gets underway from the 10th tee at 6.45am (Qld time) on Thursday.

Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, maximum 31 degrees

Playing partners: 2024 Cameron Smith scholarship holders Wes Hinton and Kayun Mudadana

We are underway

Cam Smith’s start to the QLD PGA doesn’t get off to a great start with his drive headed left into the water, but after a drop it’s a good approach to middle of the green with 20ft left for his par four.

One hole in the books

The par putt for Smith slips by left of the hole and leaves a 2ft clean up bogey and it is on to 11th for his second hole of the day with a solid crowd following in the warm morning air on a perfect day for tournament golf.

Green in Regulation

The long par-3 11th sees Cam safely aboard the green with his tee shot but a long putt upcoming to the front left pin. A 40ft birdie attempt upcoming for the major champion playing alongside two of his scholarship winning amateurs.

Par from long range

After lagging his birdie attempt to three feet, Smith holes a testing short putt to secure his first par of the day as he moves to the par-4 12th.

Another par at 12

After hitting another tee shot slightly left and finding the rough, it was a great approach shot to 10 feet behind the hole for Smith.

The birdie putt from 10ft comes up a couple rolls short of the hole and he knocks it in for par to stay at 1-over through three holes as the crowd continues to watch on with great interest at Nudgee.

Close call for birdie at 13

Taking his drive down the left side to open the green up at the par-4 13th, Cam gives himself the best look at birdie so far today with a second shot to 6ft.

His birdie putt hits the left lip but doesn’t fall, it’s another par for Smith as he stays 1-over and five shots back of Jack Harrison, with the Victorian off to a hot start of 4-under through six holes.

Time to scramble at the 14th

It is another drive left of the fairway at the longest par-4 on the back nine, with Smith’s ball nestling down in the Kikuyu. He is able to advance it only as far as the front bunker, with his legendary short game needed to make par.

Even with a short game as good as Smith’s, the plugged lie in the face of the bunker was a tough ask. He splashes out to 25ft and will face a testing putt to save his par.

And in it goes! The first big cheer goes up from the crowd as Smith makes his long par putt.

More rough to navigate at the 15th

It is the first par-5 of the day for Smith and his drive is left again and finds the rough, with the Kikuyu thicker in parts and the lie largely determining the strategy from here.

Looks to be time for some more short game magic for Smith at 15 after his second shot goes left up near the putting surface with plenty of elevation, as he and coach/caddie this week work to get the growing crowds in the right spot as he tries to navigate the 532-metre hole.

A decent pitch up to the putting surface leaves 15ft for Smith for birdie to get his round back to even par.

The birdie try comes up a foot short of the hole, story of the day so far for Cam. Par it is and he remains 1-over while more than 20 of the morning field are under par so far in their opening rounds.

Finding the fairway on 16

Smith has found the fairway on the par-4 16th, setting up a good chance to get it in there close for another birdie look.

From the right side of the fairway, Smith’s approach finds the putting surface and he has an outside look at birdie from 22-feet.

And it’s in!!! Smith rolls in his first birdie of the day which gets his round back to even par and might be the spark the champion needs.

With back-to-back eagles, West Australian Ryan Peake has jumped into the lead at 3-under, Smith with some ground to make up.

Middle of the fairway on 17

Off the back of his long birdie conversion, Smith has piped his drive down the middle of the fairway on the 500-metre par-5 17th, and will have a shot at the green in two.

Choosing to layup to 75m, Smith has left himself with great chance to knock one close and setup a chance at back-to-back birdies.

In textbook fashion, Smith’s wedge approach spins in tight to six feet, setting up a great chance at another birdie.

It’s in again! Back-to-back birdies sees Smith enter red figures for the first time in this championship and sees him on his way to posting a number on his back nine.

Artistic flair on 18

Absolute special bit of creativity from Smith on 18th green, after he his tee shot on Nudgee’s famous closing par-3 found the back left of the green.

Smith putted away from the hole from back left, up into the fringe on the right side of the green, feeding down to 2 feet. Then young Wes Hinton followed suit and finished just inside Smith’s ball.

A par means Smith makes the turn in 1-under.

Positive start to his back nine

A regulation par on the first, was followed by a nice birdie putt on the second from five feet for Smith.

A two -putt par on hole three followed, and smith is now 2-under on his day.

Recovery for the ages on the fourth

Finding the pine straw to the right of the par-5 fourth fairway, Smith has played an extraordinary hook shot through the trees down the adjacent hole and back 20 metres short of the green.

Just a short pitch in left Smith with 5 feet for birdie.

It’s in again, Smith is charging now at 3-under.

Another par-5 special at the fifth

With two perfect shots, Smith has found the 485m par-5 fifth in two.

With 35 feet for eagle, Smith rolled his attempt close and tapped in for yet another birdie. At 4-under Smith is now tied for the lead.

Safely in the fairway on the sixth

Playing back into a stiffening wind, Smith’s drive safely finds the fairway, 160m left in.

SHORT GAME MAGIC! Smith’s legendary touch around the greens is on show, the star chipping in for birdie on six. Three on the trot!

5-under on his day, Smith is just one back of leader Billy Dowling.

Back to regular programming on the seventh

After finding the right side of the fairway with his drive, Smith’s 40m pitch over the bunker left him 12-feet for birdie.

The putt just slid by, tapping in for par.

The crowds are out in force watching the champ this morning, providing fantastic support with two holes to play.

A fightback complete

Two final pars on eight and nine coming in has Smith finish five-under on his day, one shot back of leaders Phoenix Campbell and Billy Dowling.

After a slow start, Smith played his final 12 holes in 6-under, and will be looking to continue that scoring on Friday at Nudgee.


He is the only major winner and undisputed best player in the field yet Cameron Smith insists he is no sure thing to win the Queensland PGA Championship starting at Nudgee Golf Club on Thursday.

Smith will begin his first Queensland PGA campaign since 2015 at 6:45am AEST on Thursday morning, accompanied by the two most recent recipients of the Cameron Smith Scholarship, Wes Hinton and Kayun Mudadana.

Other former Scholarship winners such as Louis Dobbelaar and amateur star Billy Dowling are also in the field at Nudgee, Smith’s generosity effectively making his task this week even more challenging.

Rookie professionals such as defending champion Phoenix Campbell, Quinn Croker and Jasper Stubbs are all hungry for success, eager to join the likes of first-time winners already this season in Jack Buchanan and Elvis Smylie.

Throw in established international players in Anthony Quayle, Rhein Gibson and Andrew Martin and Smith’s assignment may not be as easy as it first looks.

“I would say I’ve got the most pressure on me out of everyone,” Smith conceded on Wednesday.

“A lot of people expect for me to come down here and just win. I really don’t think that’s the case.

“I’ve played with a lot of these guys growing up and they’re really talented golfers as well.
“It is going to take some of my best stuff this week to get the job done and I’m aware of that.

“I’m preparing well and doing all the right stuff, but I still need to go out there and play some really solid golf.”

Part of the reason for playing this week – the first of four events that Smith will play on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia over the next five weeks – is the same as it was in his early days as a professional.

Now 31 years of age, Smith was less than two years into his professional career when he finished second to Kiwi Ryan Fox at the 2015 Queensland PGA in Toowoomba.

It is the competitive base that young players get on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia that Smith says he still craves to play at his best.

“Playing these events as a young pro is I think is vital,” said Smith, who will also play the NSW Open, BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open.

“Just being competitive and playing events is one of the best things you can do for your progress. And also staying at the top as well. You need to be competitive, you need to keep the reps in.

“These guys out here this week have had a few reps the last few weeks, so I’m sure there’s a lot of guys feeling good.

“Definitely, these events have helped me immensely, particularly the start of my career.”

The final two rounds of the Queensland PGA Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo. Coverage is 11:30am-4:30pm AEST on both Saturday and Sunday.

Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images


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