BRISBANE, Australia – Former British Open champion Cameron Smith birdied three of the first four holes on Saturday for a 6-under 65 and tied for the second-round lead at the rain-shortened Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
Heavy rain and an unplayable course on Friday forced the second round to be abandoned and made the joint event of the Australasian PGA and European Tour a 54-hole tournament scheduled to end on Sunday.
Smith, who won the 2022 British Open in St. Andrews, had a 36-hole total of 10-under 132, level with first-round leader Elvis Smylie, who shot 67. Smylie is the son of former Australian tennis champion Liz Smylie.
“This is a home event, this tournament has always been fun for me,” said Smith. “It’s a really cool place, which is probably why I’m playing so well, but you have to go out and do it.”
The 22-year-old Smylie said, “All parts of my game are in great shape.”
“As soon as I was in the tricky spots, I did a really good job of getting out of them without doing too much damage…” Smylie said.
Fellow LIV and fellow Australian Marc Leishman, who shot 66, was third and a stroke behind the leaders.
Jason Day, making his first home appearance in Australia in seven years, shot 69 and was four strokes behind Smith and Smylie. Min Woo Lee, who won last year’s tournament at Royal Queensland, had a 73 and made the cut to 2-under, eight strokes behind.
Lucas Herbert, an Australian who also plays on the LIV Tour, shot a 66, and 2004 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy had a 68. They were 5-under and five strokes behind.
Herbert, who won last week’s New South Wales Open on the Australasia tour, beating Smith on the final day, was not happy with his round. He was upset about missed putts and “loose” fairway choices on the riverside course.
“It’s weird sitting here crying about shooting 5-under, but I’m here,” he said.
The Australian PGA is the first event of the 2025 European Tour season.
Next week in Australia the same players will travel to Melbourne 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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