Summary
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Sebastian Garcia was having a great run at the Australian PGA Championship on Thursday, completing 15 holes at the par-71 Royal Queensland course at an impressive 7-under par, until an afternoon storm halted play. Tournament organizers ordered spectators to leave the course due to the adverse weather conditions.
As a result of the suspension, approximately half of the 156 players will have to finish their first rounds on Friday morning, and the tee times for the second round will be delayed by 90 minutes.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Ryan Fox, returning after an eight-week hiatus and having won two PGA Tour events, shot a 4-under-par 67, tying for the lead among those who had already finished their rounds. The 38-year-old New Zealander bogeyed the second hole but then carded five birdies.
This tournament is co-sanctioned by the Australian PGA Tour and the European Tour, which begins its 2025-26 season just two weeks after Rory McIlroy won the Race to Dubai title. Fox won the Myrtle Beach Classic and the Canadian Open on the PGA Tour this year.
Key details
Fox is tied with Australian Anthony Quayle and 2024 Asia-Pacific amateur champion Ding Wenyi, who also shot 4 under par. 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott and fellow Australian Min Woo Lee both shot 68, one stroke behind the early leaders.
Quayle had a familiar face as his caddie: Steve Williams, who has worked with Tiger Woods on 13 of his major titles and also caddied for Scott in his Masters victory. “I met him at the New Zealand Open earlier this year… we hit it off quite well, and I asked if he minded grabbing a coffee afterward—I’d love to hear about his experience,” Quayle said after his bogey-free round. “He said he’d give me his number and come caddie for me.”
Scott's round, which included five birdies, ended with his second bogey of the day. "It's tricky around the greens," Scott said. "If you're a little bit off the circle, it can be difficult to sink putts, and you can't force it because that can lead to mistakes."“
Cameron Smith, a former British Open champion and LIV Tour regular who hasn't won in over two years, carded a 69, as did defending champion Elvis Smylie. Smith, a three-time Australian PGA Champion and runner-up last year, had five top-10 finishes in 13 LIV Golf regulars this season but missed his sixth consecutive cut at last week's Saudi International in Riyadh. He was happy to be back in his home state of Queensland. "I feel like I'm home, I feel comfortable sleeping in my own bed," Smith said.
“There are many familiar faces, so it’s always good to come back.”
Statements and context
Marco Penge, who has won three times on the European Tour this year and is the tournament's highest-ranked player at No. 30, shot a 70. The Englishman, known for his powerful groundstrokes, withdrew from the pro-am on Wednesday, mentioning that he had been receiving physiotherapy for a neck injury. “No, it’s not great,” said the 27-year-old Penge on Wednesday at Royal Queensland. “The physiotherapists here are helping me out. I think I’ve had five physio sessions in the last 24 hours, so we’re doing everything we can to get me feeling good.”
Two aces were recorded on Thursday: Kazumu Kobori achieved a hole-in-one with a wedge on the 17th hole, while Daniel Gale won a sponsor's car with his shot on the 11th hole. Gale was at 5 under par after 12 holes when play was suspended.
McIlroy will be the main attraction at the Australian Open next week at Royal Melbourne, which begins on December 4.
