BRISBANE, Australia – Former British Open champion Cameron Smith and Jason Day, who is back Down Under for the first time in seven years, each shot 4-under 67 on Thursday and are two times out of the lead after Australia’s first round. PGA at Royal Queensland.
Smith, the 2022 British Open champion in St. Andrews, 2015 PGA Championship winner Day and fellow Australian Marc Leishman were in the group behind first-round leader Elvis Smylie, son of former Australian tennis champion Liz Smylie. He shot 65.
Joel Girrbach of Switzerland, Victor Perez of France, Cristobal del Solar of Chile and Matias Sanchez of Australia tied for second place with 66s, a stroke behind Smylie.
Min Woo Lee, who won last year’s tournament at Royal Queensland, shot 68 and was three strokes off the lead. Lee, Day and Smith were in the same starting group on Thursday in the combined PGA Tour of Australasia and the first European Tour event of the 2025 season.
Smylie, a 22-year-old from the nearby Gold Coast, said the tournament was like a “home game” for him.
“Only an hour to go,” said Smylie. “I’ve played a lot of golf here. I’m familiar with the course and all parts of my game are going really well at the moment. I’m really comfortable with what I’m doing.”
Day, 37, said he was happy to be in the group on Thursday. He has not played in his home country since the 2017 Australian Open and has not played on the Australian PGA since 2011.
“Obviously Cammy [Smith] there is a great painting here. It’s good to get out there and watch Min,” Day said. “It’s unbelievable how far that guy hits. You seem like you have a lot under control. He just had a bad break and obviously something is changing there, but overall, he’s playing solid.
“There’s always a fear of coming back to try to defend myself,” Day added. “And when you’re in the marquee team, there’s a lot of people watching you and it’s always a bit of a relief to come back as the defending champion.”
Day said Smith was feeling under the weather and Smith later confirmed his condition.
“I think Tuesday here in the rain and then Wednesday in the rain, a couple of big weeks and stuff, I think it just got to me a little bit,” Smith said. “Just a little head cold. … I’ll be right, I’ll be fine.”
Australian Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open champion who now spends most of his time designing golf eagles, shot a 69.
Lee (ranked 48) and Day (No. 31) are the only players outside the world’s top 50 in this category. Smith is playing in his third consecutive week of PGA Tour events in Australasia — he closed with a 74 last week to lose by two shots at the New South Wales Open, finishing tied for second and three strokes behind winner and fellow LIV player Lucas Herbert. .
Many of the same players will travel to Melbourne next week for the Australian Open, and on the European Tour, which is being played at the same time as the Women’s Australian Open at the famous sand belt courses Kingston Heath and Victoria.
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