Max McCardle impressed in the afternoon field during the
first round of the Northern Territory PGA Championship.

The South Australian fired the best round of the afternoon,
his 5-under 66 two shots better than anyone else teeing off after 11.45pm.

Pleased with his opening round, McCardle finds himself two
shots behind leader Jordan Zunic who played in the morning field.

"It was nice to get off to a good start, I played really
solid early. I didn’t get much going but managed to scramble my way round the
back and I stayed patient to get a couple of nice birdies coming in," said
McCardle.

"I kept the ball on the fairways for most of the round, my
driving was pretty good, my short game was really solid when it had to be and I
hit some really nice putts late. Probably all round it was a pretty solid day."

McCardle comes into the Northern Territory PGA Championship
in top competition form having four top-10 results on the PGA TOUR China so far
this year.

"I have had a bit of a break and to be honest I haven’t been
playing great the last couple of weeks. I spoke to my coach yesterday (PGA Pro Tony
Myer), I was hoping that getting back into tournament mode and getting the
juices flowing again might get me in a good rhythm," added McCardle.

"I definitely felt more comfortable with my game than I have
the last month. It was nice to focus, go through routines and be in the process
of tournament golf again. It definitely helps the confidence knowing that I am
playing well in tournament mode."

While his confidence is high, McCardle also has course knowledge
on his side as a frequent visitor to the Palmerston Golf Course.

"I come up here a fair bit. I have probably been here the
last six years, at this time of the year, so I am very familiar with the
course," added McCardle.

"I’m not quite a local like Aaron Pike but I have played
here a fair bit under different circumstances. I think I have a fairly good
understanding of how to play the layout. I think course management is key
around here."

Max McCardle will tee off in the second round of the
Northern Territory PGA Championship at 8am tomorrow.