FILE PHOTO: Golf - LIV Golf - United Kingdom - JCB Golf and Country Club, Rocester, Britain - July 26, 2024 Ripper GC's Cameron Smith in action during round one REUTERS/Peter Powell/File Photo
(Reuters) -Local youngster Elvis Smylie outshone major winners Cameron Smith and Jason Day with a sizzling six-under-par 65 to lead the Australian PGA Championship by a stroke after the opening round on Thursday.
The 22-year-old stormed home with three birdies in his last four holes in the more benign early conditions at the rain-sodden Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane to set a standard that none of his rivals was able to match.
Swiss Joel Girrbach, Frenchman Victor Perez, Colombian Cristobal Del Solar and Australian Matias Sanchez all shot 66 to share second place, while Smith and Day were a stroke further back in a group of eight players on four-under.
"It's great having all the Aussies back home and supporting the Australian tournaments," Smylie said.
"And it's great to compete against them because ultimately I want to be in their shoes and what they're doing in their career."
Smylie's fellow Queenslanders Smith and Day were also early starters and played with defending champion Min Woo Lee in an Australian super grouping that attracted the biggest galleries.
"It's been a while since I've been here, so wasn't too sure how things would unfold," said Day, who was playing on home soil for the first time in seven years.
"But it's been great, the crowds have been fantastic."
Lee had the best of the early play with four birdies in his first six holes but former world number one Day was soon hot on his heels as they approached the turn.
Former British Open champion Smith, desperate to make up for missing the cut in his home city last year, was level par at the turn but three birdies in four holes at the start of his back nine brought him level with his playing partners."I feel like I did all right in the front nine, getting up that early," Smith said after his round of 67.
"The body I think takes a little bit of time to wake up. It just kind of wasn't all clicking and yeah, probably just a bit of extra time I think was probably the biggest thing."
Back-to-back bogeys in the back nine dragged Lee into the chasing pack but he, Smith and Day all picked up shots at their 16th hole to move back into a share of the lead at four-under.
Lee immediately gave back his shot on his penultimate hole to drop down to three-under and a par at the last left him to sign for a round of 68.
"A little disappointed with the finish, but there's a lot of good stuff," said the 26-year-old.
"Still, just got to be better."
After heavy rain over the last few days, the wet weather largely stayed away on Thursday morning but returned later in the day with a swirling wind that made for even trickier conditions.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford and Kate Mayberry)
