LIVE BLOG: Fortinet Australian PGA Championship - PGA of Australia

LIVE BLOG: Fortinet Australian PGA Championship


Min Woo Lee has scored a superb win at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.

The West Australian shot a final-round 68 for an overall score of 20-under 264, three shots better than Japanese runner-up Rikuya Hoshino.

4:25pm: Rikuya Hishino had this to say about finishing runner-up.

I would like to congratulate Min Woo on his amazing play. This was my first time playing a tournament in Australia and my first time being here, and I had a lot of fun playing in front of such big crowds.

It was a lot of fun to be able to compete with the stars of the world and try to win the championship. I was very sharp and achieved a good result, so I’ll do my best to win next week as well.

4:20pm: The stats on the Min Woo Lee victory.

  • Third DP World Tour win in his 82nd appearance
  • Second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour victory on home soil, following on from his 2020 ISPS HANDA Vic Open success
  • His last DP World Tour victory, at the abrdn Scottish Open, was two and 138 days ago
  • The fourth Australian winner of this event since it was first played on the DP World Tour’s Global Schedule in 2016, joining Nathan Holman (2016), Cam Smith (2018, 19 and 22) and Adam Scott (2019)
  • This is his second 54-hole lead on the DP World Tour. He converted at the 2020 ISPS HANDA Vic Open and finished runner-up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in in January, 2023
  • His second win in the space of four worldwide starts after his SJM Macao Open victory on the Asian Tour
  • He takes the lead the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex on 500 points
  • First Australian win on the DP World Tour since Lucas Herbert claimed the ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan in April 2023
  • 141st win by a player from Australia on the DP World Tour

4:16pm: Min Woo on that eagle on 9 which is the highlight to remember from this year’s champion

I think that was probably the best atmosphere shot I’ve ever hit.  I’ve had a few chip ins, but at that point it was getting close and I was in a pretty average position off the tee shot, after the tee shot, so to chip that in, it was amazing.  I want to see it straight away.  I would like to see it.  It was one of the best shots I’ve probably hit.

4:15pm: Our winner Min Woo Lee had this to say straight after his win:

I’ve always thought I could win, but it took a while to get over the hump.  But two wins in the last month or so, I’m really proud of my team and myself.  I made it interesting early on and through the middle, but ended up hanging on, so I’m really proud.

4:10pm: Our third placegetter Marc Leishman is one to watch for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open next week. He closed with a 64 today.

Yeah, I’ve been playing well most of the year.  I definitely think if I can play well and get the putter hot, there’s no reason why I can’t come away with a victory.  But there’s a lot of good players as well, so you’ve got to play good and get the breaks and hopefully no one else goes crazy.

4:04pm: Min Woo Lee is your Joe Kirkwood Cup winner for 2023, finishing at 20-under-par to claim his second Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory.

Rounding out the top three – Japan’s Rikuya Hishino (-17) and Victoria’s Marc Leishman (-16).

2:36pm: Best round of the day belongs to Victorian Todd Sinnott, who has climbed into a share of seventh with a Sunday 65.

2:09pm: Birdie on 12 for Min Woo Lee for the third time this week and, at 21-under, his lead is now four with six to play.

1:47pm: Side note, Jed Morgan also chipped in on nine and let out an almighty fist pump when he won the 2021 championship in record fashion. He and Nick O’Hern’s 22-under tournament low is now in the firing line.

12:48pm: Lee (19-under) and Hoshino (16-under) trade birdies at the par-5 seventh and the lead remains three. Connor Syme is next best at 14-under with Joaquin Niemann fourth at 12-under.

12:11pm: Bogey for Hoshino at six and Min Woo Lee’s lead is back out to two.

11:30am: HOLE-IN-ONE! Chile’s Joaquin Niemann makes an ace at the 164-metre par-3 fourth. He rockets up into outright sixth and just five strokes off the lead.

11:25am: Scotland’s Calum Hill currently has the low round on course. Winner of the Cazoo Classic in 2021, Hill is 5-under through 11 and is in a tie for eighth at 9-under.

11:22am: Rikuyu Hoshino has burst out of the blocks with two birdies to join Min Woo Lee at 16-under par and tied for the lead. Hoshino has won five times on the Japan Golf Tour since 2018 and is currently ranked No.138 in the Official World Golf Ranking. In short, can play.

11:07am: A two-shot swing on the very first hole for our final group and Min Woo Lee’s lead is cut from three to one. Game on.

10:16am: The Bobby Mac charge has hit a hurdle. A double-bogey on 10 has sent the Scotsman tumbling down to a share of 42nd with seven holes to play.

9:10am: It may not rival a William Wallace-style charge just yet but Scottish star Robert MacIntyre is moving on Sunday. MacIntyre has birdied two, four, five and seven to be 4-under through 8 and up into a tie for 20th.

8:15am: If the morning groups are anything to go by, we are going to see some low numbers for the final round of the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship. There have already been 13 birdies at the par-4 first, defending Australian Open champion Adrian Meronk began his final round with two straight birdies and West Australian Hayden Hopewell has moved into a tie for 27th with birdies at both one and two.

Curtis Luck (3rd at -13): Man, I hit it close a lot out there.  I had a lot of putts seem to go over the edge and it was kind of similar yesterday.  I feel like I played very, very well today.  5-under does not seem that crazy, but I’m happy with it nonetheless.

Cam Davis (T7 at -9): I have played some very clean golf.  I came off about a month of kind of taking it easy and not playing too much, so to turn around and get everything back and get all my tournament juices going and hit good shots when the targets are small, it’s been fun.

Marc Leishman (T7 at -9): You never know what can happen.  We all want to win it.  So if I can play like I did today and get a hot putter, get off to a good start, you never know what might happen.  Hopefully I can just play good, finish as well as I can and see how it goes.

Connor Syme (T5 at -10) Yeah, it was a good day.  I didn’t actually feel that great to be honest, this morning.  I felt good mentally but I just didn’t feel my swing was quite there on the range.  So I just kind of tried to manage my golf ball better.  Obviously it was a little bit easier today in terms of the breeze, it was pretty windy yesterday afternoon, but yeah, I’m pretty pleased. Well, really pleased with 7-under.  It obviously depends on the leaders, but I’m in a good spot.

Adam Scott (4th at -11): Well, it wasn’t really my day.  I couldn’t really get it going and unfortunately I missed a putt on 12 and then bogeyed 14 and 16 and had a rough run coming in there.  So the momentum really changed and Min had a couple of birdies and we went from being quite close to I’m a long way back now.  So, I’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow but maybe all the putts will go tomorrow.

4:50pm: Some quotes from our leaders after Round 3:

Min Woo Lee (Leading at -17): I again played pretty solid.  A couple of mistakes but that happens.  But overall, pretty happy with the way I went today. Tomorrow’s just another day and hopefully I can keep going.  I can just control what I can do and if someone goes out there and shoots low, hopefully I’ve finished the day happy with the way I played.

4:00pm: We’re done for the day. -17 Min Woo Lee; -14 Rikuya Hoshino; -13 Curtis Luck; -11 Adam Scott; -10 Connor Syme; -10 Lucas Herbert; -9 Joaquin Niemann; -9 Marc Leishman; -9 Cameron Davis; -9 Joel Moscatel

3:50pm: Last group tomorrow will be Min Woo Lee, Rikuya Hoshino and Curtis Luck.

3:45pm: The day is done at the Southern Comfort Party Hole and it ends with a Viking clap started by Min Woo Lee. It’s the place to be tomorrow if you want to mix in plenty of music, cheers and fun with your golf.

3:40pm: Curtis Luck birdies the last for a bogey-free 66 to move to -13 and outright third. Playing partner Lucas Herbert shot a 69 to get to -10 but that’s seven from the lead at the moment.

3:35pm: A couple of bogeys has dropped Adam Scott back to -11, six behind Min Woo Lee.

3:30pm: A fantastic back nine of 29 has lifted Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino into outright second at -14, three behind Min Woo Lee who shows no signs of backing up with three birdies of his own on the back nine.

3:20pm: Among the latest into the clubhouse – Cam Davis (68) at -9, Marc Leishman (67) at -9 despite having a ball stuck in the tree on 14, Joaquin Niemann (67) at -9

3:05pm: The Southern Comfort Party Hole is about to greet our final two groups. The 17th is no snack, playing as the fourth hardest hole of the day with eight birdies and 16 bogeys

2:55pm: Some info on our leading overseas player Rikuya Hoshino who is threatening to upset the Aussie party. He’s a former world No.64 who is now ranked No.138. He’s had five victories on the Japanese Tour, the last coming in 2021……and he’s now tied for second in the 2023 Australian PGA

2:45pm: Leaderboard update: Min Woo Lee -15, Adam Scott -13, Rikuya Hoshino -12, Curtis Luck -12, Connor Syme -10

2:00pm: Lets have a look at a couple of other moves today – leftie Lawry Flynn has just climbed into T10 with three consecutive birdies to get to -7. Rookie pro Jeff Guan had five birdies in his last six to post a 67.

1:50pm: Scotland’s Connor Syme has just finished off the equal low round of the day – a bogey-free 7-under 64 – to move into fifth place at -10. He’s the leading non-Australian.

1:48pm: Leaderboard update: Min Woo Lee -14, Lucas Herbert -11, Curtis Luck -11, Adam Scott -11

12:53pm: More fun Frank Kennedy facts. Now 18 years of age, Kennedy made the cut in his first event on the DP World Tour, the 2021 Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews. He was just 15 years of age.

12:30pm: As the lead groups near the end of the front nine, worth keeping in mind how hard the back nine is playing. Halfway through Round 3, six of the eight hardest holes on the golf course are on the back nine. Ten (4.311), 14 (4.273) and 18 (4.247) are the three hardest holes for the week thus far.

12:13pm: SCORE CHECK! After making a three-footer for par to stay just inside the cut-line last night, Kiwi Michael Hendry has posted 7-under 64 this morning and is now tied for seventh.

11:32am: With a birdie at the first, Min Woo Lee extends his lead to two from Adam Scott and John Lyras, who also made birdie at the opening hole.

11:30am: Qualifying is happening right now for this afternoon’s World Long Drive competition to take place on the 1st tee at 4pm AEST. The top eight from the 19 qualifiers will advance to the final.

8:52am: It’s all about opportunity. Michael Hendry and Haydn Barron were two of the beneficiaries when the cut moved late from 1-under to even par on Friday. Hendry has turned in 4-under to be T21 while Barron is 3-under through 8 to be T31.

8:40am: For those playing along at home, we’ve got some special guests here at Royal Queensland broadcasting live for The Today Show.

8:12am: Did you know that the Southern Comfort Party Hole has its own playlist? Join the party and listen to the songs that will be greeting players all day today and tomorrow.

7:32am: Was this the shot of the day in Round 3?

7:30am: Round 3 is up and running and we’re already seeing plenty of birdies among the early groups.

6:10pm: Final cut comes at even-par, sending 80 players through to Saturday

6pm: Looks like being a big field tomorrow. Cut line is back at even-par which currently gives us 81 players.

5:40pm: Nice little fight back late in the day from overnight leader Joel Moscatel, who has ended the day with an even-par 71 and a share of fourth at -8. That’s the last change to the leaderboard for Yellow Day.

5.34pm: Something to watch tomorrow. Sydney’s John Lyras likes to play aggressive golf. He’ll start round three at 10-under, two shots behind leader Min Woo Lee.

I tell you what, I played with Min Woo last year, round 3, it doesn’t work by just sitting there and letting things come to you.  There’s a point where you’ve got to step on it a bit and see how much you can take from the golf course.  Obviously, you pick your chances right and you pick your battles.  I plan on doing a better job of that tomorrow and yeah, just being overall more aggressive and more trusting in the game.  You’re never going to play good golf by being ultra conservative with your game plan or thought process.

5:26pm: And a birdie from Jack Murdoch puts the cut back at -1 which is bad news for those 16 players

5:00pm: The cut line has just moved from -1 to even-par which is great news for 16 players including Rod Pampling, Haydn Barron, Lachlan Barker, James Marchesani, Adam Bland and Michael Hendry

4:45pm: Adam Scott’s 65 matched the low round of the day from Cameron John. He had this to say:

It’s always nice to have a bogey-free round, that’s always nice.  I probably haven’t had many of them this year. I feel like my swing from the tee to the green is feeling better than it has for a while and that’s a nice thing for me.

4:40pm: A quote from Cam Smith – “Australia has been so good to me…there’s no reason to perform like that…unacceptable.

4:22pm: A very emotional Cam Smith met with the media after he finished with a three-putt and a round of 79. At +9 for the event, he is well outside the cut line of -1 and will not be playing at RQ at the weekend.

4:20pm: Min Woo Lee has backed up his opening round of 64 with a 66 to be 12-under-par and in the clubhouse lead late on Yellow Day at Royal Queensland. He’s one ahead of Adam Scott.

3:45pm: Adam Scott has finished off a classy 65 on Yellow Day to be in the clubhouse on -11 after 36 holes. Playing partner Cam Davis is still in touch at -6 (68-68) while Adrian Meronk (68-73) has just made the weekend at -1.

3:15pm: It’s Min Woo Lee back on top after a birdie on 15. He’s the first man to -12. Adam Scott is -11 and then three shots to Herbert, Luck and Lyras

3:05pm: Our reigning ISPS HANDA Australian Open champion Adrian Meronk is on the cut line at -1 with three holes left. One slip-up and the Pole may be absent for the weekend.

3pm: An update on our overnight leader, Joel Moscatel from Spain. He’s +1 for the day after 8 holes and is now four behind Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee.

2:50pm: The low round of the day has come from Melbourne’s Cameron John who shot a 65 to climb into a tie for sixth at the moment. He spoke to the media about some help he’s been receiving from some of our Tour’s most experienced professionals.

I spoke to Michael Sim a little bit last week.  I was fortunate enough to play with him.  Marcus Fraser, I played golf with him a few weeks ago and I just picked both their brains just as much as I could.  I probably annoyed them a bit, but that’s all right.

2:20pm: Cam Smith Cut Watch: It looks like it’s all over for the defending champion – a double-bogey on 10 and he’s blown out to +6. That’s a tie for 139th

2:10pm: What a shot from Adam Scott who hits the pin with his tee shot at the short par-4 12th. The birdie puts him on top of the 2023 leaderboard for the first time. Smith -11, Lee -10.

1:50pm: Cam Smith Cut Watch – A ball into the penalty area led to a bogey six on the gettable par-5 ninth, leaving our defending champion at +4 and in a tie for 124th. Cut line currently on -1.

1:45pm: It’s a great showdown on a sunny Friday afternoon between two of Australia’s best, Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott. They’re trading birdies and now stand alone at 1 and 2 on the leaderboard. Lee -11 and Scott -10.

1:15pm: Min Woo Lee back in front alone. -3 for his first seven holes and he’s now -10.

12:53pm: New joint leader – Adam Scott with a two-putt birdie on the 7th. He’s -4 for the day and has caught Min Woo Lee at -9

12:51pm: Big finish from Brisbane leftie Lawry Flynn who birdied three of his final four holes to jump to a tie for 13th at -5

12:50pm: Round of the day so far comes from Victoria’s Cam John – a 6-under 65 with eight birdies and one bogey. He’s just two behind our leader Min Woo Lee on a breezy Brisbane afternoon.

12:40pm: Cam Smith Cut Watch: Just one birdie in 23 holes so far leaves the defending champion at +3 and four shots away from the current cut line of -1

12:30pm: WA’s Curtis Luck wasn’t thinking about a hole-in-one when he stepped onto the tee at the Southern Comfort Party Hole this morning. But that’s what happened 🙂

I mean, on that hole, the only thing you’re thinking is obviously don’t go long … you just want to knock it somewhere, obviously hopefully around the pin but keep it somewhat towards the middle of the green

12:20pm: Our reigning Challenger PGA Tour Order of Merit champion David Micheluzzi (68-68) is safely inside the top 10 and enjoyed his pairing with fellow Victorian Lucas Herbert, who he has played against since they were kids, and Kiwi Daniel Hillier

We’re all good mates and especially like feeding off each other as well.  When one makes a birdie, it feels like we’re all making birdies.  I don’t think I’m playing with either of them tomorrow, which is unfortunate, but it’s been good.

12:10pm: Another player to have a good first two days was Spain’s former Ryder Cup player Rafa Cabrera Bello…two 68s in the bank

This is my 18th season as a pro and it’s not often I get to visit two new cities in two weeks – that’s what made me want to come here. I’ve enjoyed it every time I have been in Australia. It’s far to get to, but once you’re here, it’s cool.

12:05pm: Lucas Herbert had a chat to the media after his 68. Here’s what he had to say about Yellow Day and remembering Jarrod Lyle

It’s pretty nice to walk off the last in the tie for the lead with being the ambassador for Yellow Day and seeing everyone wearing so much yellow out here.  I saw a couple of the boards yesterday that were blue have turned yellow and a lot of stuff like that.  I think the tournament’s done a great job.  We do a great job to honour Jarrod’s legacy and obviously raise awareness and raise funds for the Challenge Foundation.

Noon: New leader…..Fresh off a Post Malone concert, Min Woo is cooking again. Two birdies in his first three holes and he’s the first player to -9

11:55am: Cam Smith Watch: Three pars to start leaves him at +2 and three shots outside the current cut line of -1

11:45am: Make that four at -8 with hole-in-one man Curtis Luck finishing with a 67 for the day.

11:40am: -8 is now the home of three leaders – Lucas Herbert who is done for the day, Min Woo Lee who is on the third and Joel Moscatel who is warming up for his second round

11:30am: Fun fact: Our joint leader Lucas Herbert is the only player in the top 50 on the leaderboard to have a double-bogey in his second round

11:10am: Also done for the day are David Micheluzzi (66) who is now -6, Marc Leishman (69) to get to -5 and our Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader Ben Eccles (69) to also be -5

11:05am: The morning groups are starting to roll into the scorers and it’s Lucas Herbert who is probably the happiest of all – a 68 has him as the joint leader with Spain’s Joel Moscatel at 8-under-par. The hot man on the course is Cam John who is -6 for the day and now only one back.

10:30am: Lucas Herbert joins the lead…-5 for his second nine with the par-5 ninth hole to come.

10:15am: Great bounce back from Yellow Day Ambassador Lucas Herbert. After being +3 for the day through five holes, he’s now -2 for round two and just one behind the leader who is still Spain’s Joel Moscatel, who tees off at 12.40pm

9:30am: Best round on the course today belongs to Dillon Hart who is -4 through 8 to jump to T20, while former US Open champ Geoff Ogilvy is making a strong bid to play on the weekend. He’s -3 with five holes left to move to even-par (T73)

9:15am: Leaderboard: Moscatel -8, Lee -7, Eccles -6 (10), Strange -6 (7), McKinney -6 (6), Lyras -6

8:54: Bang! The first hole-in-one at the Southern Comfort Party Hole has happened. Curtis Luck has aced the par-3 17th. He’s now T6 at 5-under. Club of choice: Gap wedge.

8:25: Rookie WA pro Connor McKinney has been making his mark in his first season on Tour. He’s just climbed into a share of third on -6 with a birdie on the 12th

8:05am: Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit leader Ben Eccles has brought his great form to RQ. He’s -2 through six holes today to be -5 overall and in a tie for fifth.

7:50am: Former Hong Kong Open champion Sam Brazel has birdied the first to move to a tie for third, just two from the lead. The NSW pro was T7 here last year so he could be a sneaky chance.

7:40am: Unfortunately our Yellow Day Ambassador is off to a rough start. Lucas Herbert dropped three shots in two holes but just bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 15th. He’s now -3 overall.

7:30am: Here’s what our pre-tournament favourite Cam Smith had to say about his round yesterday. He may need a 67 today to make it through to the weekend.

‘‘It was frustrating, upsetting. I really couldn’t get anything going. I couldn’t get it close enough to the hole. I felt like I would have a half-decent shot, and it would go to 30 or 40 feet, and I would never really have a chance at birdie. It was just crappy.

7:15am: Also going well today is Kiwi Daniel Hillier, who was battling jet lag at the start of the week but is -2 today to move into the top 20 at -3

7:10am: Some early morning reading on our website today includes Mike Clayton’s look at the course he helped to re-design and an emerging Japanese star in Ryo Hisatsune.

Clayton: Wide fairways suiting a widely travelled Japanese star

7am: It’s a cloudy, windless morning here at Royal Queensland and it’s a long-time local favourite who has made the first move on the leaderboard with “Rocket” Rod Pampling joining the group at 5-under thanks to two birdies to start his second round.

Thursday

5:20pm: The group at -5 has grown by two with WA rookie Connor McKinney and Sam Brazel making it a list of six players in a tie for fifth, three from the lead. And that’s it for leaderboard changes for round one at RQ.

5:00pm: Good moves late in the day from a couple of Aussie Sams – Brazel and Eaves who are -4 as we head into the final hour of play on day one.

4:50pm: Hardest hole today – the 456m par-4 14th, averaging 0.295 over par. The easiest: The fun short par-4 12th – averaging 3.609 including three eagles

4:34pm: Out on the practice putting green after his round was Victorian Lucas Herbert – 5-under for the day but a couple of short misses were still on his mind. He’s content with his position after day one.

I put a good score on the board. I think we’re fourth or fifth or something like that, after we’ve walked off the course at least. So that gives me a lot of confidence going into the rest of the week.

4:15pm: The only man left with a realistic chance to threaten the lead is WA’s Scott Strange who is -5 with three holes remaining. Three birdies will do it. 🙂

2:15pm: Marc is on the move. Leishman now at -5 and the best of the afternoon contingent, three from the lead and in a tie for fifth

1:50pm: Our first-round leader Joel Moscatel Nachshon has some Spanish countrymen who have helped to inspire him as he makes his way in the professional ranks.

Obviously Seve.  I’ve got Pablo Larrazabal from my club, I can learn a lot from him too.  But yeah obviously a lot.  John Rahm for sure.  I played one DP World Tour event, I think was two years ago, the Spanish Open as an amateur and I could play with him and it was amazing.  He was so friendly, he was so nice.  All these guys obviously are inspiration for me.

1:45pm: After a first round of 68, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann was asked about playing in Australia:

They enjoy watching golf here.  The fans are amazing. 

1:30pm: Scotland’s Connor Syme banked a 66 this morning to be T4 as we head deeper into round one. He’s already landed one title in Australia – the 2016 Australian Amateur Championship.

Yeah, it’s brilliant to be back.  We don’t get to do this often or the opportunity doesn’t around as much as probably we would like.  But yeah, it’s so cool to be back and obviously some good memories from down here, for sure.

1:11pm: Best of the afternoon rounds so far – at 3-under – our reigning Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion David Micheluzzi, Victoria’s Marc Leishman and a Queensland favourite Rod Pampling.

1:05pm: Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre finished with a 69 to be six behind at the moment. Here’s his thoughts on his first visit to the Southern Comfort Party Hole – the 17th.

It’s a good laugh.  It’s a bit different playing with music, but just as long as the beat’s not dropping when you’re standing over that 3-footer for the par.  But no, it’s good fun.

12:55pm: Little bit of info that one of our men on the ground has found out about our leader – He hits it a long way and very high, according to one of the caddies in his group. His short game was on song today.

12:40pm: Jed Morgan has company as the RQ course record holder. Spain’s Joel Moscatel Nachson has just finished off a 63 to be one ahead of Min Woo Lee at the top of the leaderboard. John Lyras third at -6.

12.20pm: Min Woo Lee was happy to see the crowds make it to his early morning tee-off time.

I was actually pretty nervous, which I haven’t really felt in a while, just before the round, but that’s usually good for me.  I’d rather not get too comfortable.  But I felt really good out there and it’s awesome to have such a big crowd, especially at 6 o’clock in the morning.  It was solid.  I’m happy they came and supported us.

12:11pm: Five birdies in a row for Moscatel Nachson – he’s now at -8 with a one-shot lead.

12:02pm: Playing his first DP World Tour event, Spain’s Joel Moscatel Nachson has joined the lead at -7….but he has three holes left. Known as Joey, he may be about to leap to the top.

11:53am: Cam Smith has plenty of work to do tomorrow in the defence of his title after an opening round of +2. He was a frustrated man post-round is out on the driving range sorting out a couple of issues.

11:47am: It’s been a busy hour of media conferences as our leaders finished their morning rounds. Min Woo Lee is relaxing in the clubhouse after a 64 including eight birdies and a bogey. Adam Scott (-5), Connor Syme (-5) and John Lyras (-5) round out the best scores before noon

9:51am: Min Woo is cooking in the Queensland sun. A birdie on five and the West Australian is -5 and the outright leader with four holes to play in his opening round.

9:47am: A fourth birdie on the trot has put Scottish golfer and former Australian Amateur champion Connor Syme within one of the lead. Syme won the 2016 Aussie Amateur at Yarra Yarra, a tournament that also featured countryman Robert MacIntyre.

9:45am: Leaderboard is looking lit. Lee, Niemann, Smylie and Lyras lead at -4, Cam Davis now joining Adam Scott, Anthony Choat and Irishman Mark Power at -3.

9:15am: John Lyras is on a heater. He has five birdies in his past six holes to join Elvis Smylie and Min Woo Lee on top at -4. A bogey at the par-3 fourth has dropped Adam Scott to -3.

9:11am: And then there were three. Early leader Elvis Smylie joins Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee at -4, Chilean Joaquin Niemann and Sydney’s John Lyras the next best at -3.

8:48am: Three birdies on the trot for Adam Scott to move to 4-under thru 11 and 1 stroke clear of Min Woo Lee and Elvis Smylie.

8:42am: ALERT! ALERT! With a birdie at the par-4 first, Adam Scott is the outright leader at -3.

8:23am: Untidy end to Adrian Meronk’s front nine, the reigning Aus Open champ making double on 16, birdie on 17 and a bogey on 18 to turn in even par.

8:20am: Two-time champion Adam Scott is tied for the lead. Scott birdied 15, 16 and 18 to turn in 2-under, tied with Elvis Smylie (thru 9), Min Woo Lee (thru 8), Brett Coletta (thru 6) and Jordan Zunic (thru 5).

7:33am: Fun Frank Kennedy facts. His father was Nick Faldo’s former manager. He is just 18 years of age. He turned pro after finishing runner-up to Christo Lamprecht at The Amateur Championship in June. Had legendary caddie Fanny Sunesson on the bag when he won the Lytham Trophy.

7:28am: There’s an early leaderboard logjam. Elvis Smylie, Adrian Meronk, Min Woo Lee, Alex Fitzpatrick, Harrison Crowe, Brett Coletta, Jordan Zunic and Frank Kennedy all at 2-under early.

7:24am: Egg and bacon roll update: Exceptional. But get in quick.

6:43am: Could today be the day we get a hole-in-one on the Southern Comfort Party Hole?

6:38am: Difficult start for the defending champ. Cam Smith bogeys his opening hole and is +1 through two holes.

6:28am: Hot start for Queenslander Elvis Smylie. With course designer Mike Clayton on the bag, Smylie has birdied his opening two holes to take an early one-stroke lead from playing partner Jack Thompson and Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick.


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