This was published 1 year ago
Here’s how the leaderboard is shaping up.
-8: Joel Moscatel Nachshon (ESP).
-7: Min Woo Lee.
-6: John Lyras.
-5: Adam Scott, Connor Syme (SCO).
-4: Rikuya Hoshino (JPN), David Horsey (ENG).
-3: Elvis Smylie, Adrian Meronk (POL), Cameron Davis, Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Simon Hawkes, Josh Geary (NZ), Anthony Choat.
Others: Cameron Smith (+2), Jed Morgan, Dimitrios Papadatos (+5).
Joel Moscatel Nachshon has just equalled the Royal Queensland course with an eight-under 63 - and he could have held it outright after missing a birdie putt on the last hole of his opening round.
He now shares the mark with former Australian PGA winner Jed Morgan, who shot an opening round 71 himself.
That’s some story for Moscatel Nachshon, who missed gaining a DP World Tour card by a single stroke at qualifying school recently. He’ll be feeling really good about himself today.
That’s all we’ve got for you from the Australian PGA blog today as the afternoon groups continue out on the course under cloudy skies.
It was a morning that belonged to Min Woo Lee (-7) and then Joel Moscatel Nachshon with Cameron Smith (+2) struggling and now facing a battle to make the cut.
Thanks for following and we’ll have more updates from the Australian PGA tomorrow morning.
Min Woo Lee was the best Australian in the morning rounds.Credit: Getty
Every year, almost without fail, the Australian PGA or Australian Open will have a bolter in the opening round. We have it again this year.
Spain’s Joel Moscatel Nachshon has just usurped Min Woo Lee for the first round lead and is at eight-under with just one hole left to play after making par on the party hole. I know, I know, you’re all wondering where has he come from and who is he?
Joel Moscatel Nachshon.Credit: Getty Images
Well, according to my extensive research he’s currently ranked 1162 in the world, speaks decent English and likes to go by the name Joey. More news as it comes to hand.
He’s become synonymous with the “let him cook” cries, and Min Woo Lee has cashed in with a sizzling seven-under 64 to start the tournament.
Playing alongside Cameron Smith and Robert MacIntyre, the world No.43 stole the show this morning as he tries to get over jetlag from last week’s DP World Tour-ending event in Dubai.
Min Woo Lee plays out of a bunker on the last hole of his opening round.Credit: Getty
How does he plan to recover tonight?
“I’m heading to Post Malone’s concert tonight,” Lee joked.
But it was no laughing matter the glut of birdies he rolled in during his inward nine, less than 48 hours after sister Minjee Lee won the Greg Norman Medal as Australia’s best golfer in 2023.
“I definitely want to win the Greg Norman Medal one day,” he said. “To get nominated was good. I didn’t think I had enough to beat her or anyone else [this year].
“I felt really good out there and it’s awesome to have such big crowds, particularly at six o’clock in the morning. I’m happy they came and supported us. This is probably the biggest crowd I’ve got all year with the exception of The Masters and The Open.”
Cameron Smith has spoken to the media after his lacklustre opening round two-over 73. He never found any momentum at all and struggled with his irons as he chases a fourth Australian PGA title.
“It was frustrating, upsetting,” Smith said. “I really couldn’t get anything going. I couldn’t get it close enough to the hole. I felt like I would have a half decent shot and it would go to 30 or 40 feet, and I would never really have a chance at birdie. It was just crappy.”
That’s that then, I suppose.
But he did go on to say that he still thinks there’s no reason why he can’t work his way back into contention on the weekend. But he’s a long way off playing partner Min Woo Lee, who already has a nine-shot cushion on the former world No.2.
Cameron Smith and Min Woo Lee after finishing their opening rounds.Credit: Getty
A handful of other Aussies have finished their opening rounds, including Adam Scott who’s sitting second on the leaderboard after finishing 5-under.
Others include Elvis Smylie, Cameron Davis, and Simon Hawkes who all finished the day 3-under.
Adam Scott (right) and Adrian Meronk of Poland shake hands after finishing day one.Credit: Getty
Min Woo Lee has ended his first round at 7-under and the solo lead. Cameron Smith? He struggled mightily at 2-over and might have a task to even make the cut tomorrow.
More bad news for the mullet fans. Cameron Smith has now dropped a shot and is at 1-over with just two holes left in his first round.
Cameron Smith and Min Woo Lee.Credit: Getty
He’s a long way from current leader and playing partner Min Woo Lee, who has stormed to 6-under. Adam Scott’s group, perhaps the tallest assembled in professional golf with Cameron Davis and Adrian Meronk, are on their last hole of the day.
I’ve lost count of the number of times Cameron Smith has stood in the middle of the fairway, wedge or short iron in hand, and dumped his approach in an area where he wouldn’t want to.
On the sixth hole, he’s left his second barely on the front fringe after eyeing a good birdie chance from a little over 120 metres out. It’s just been rinse and repeat all day, which is so uncharacteristic of him. He has to fight hard again for a two putt par.
How much is too much of a start to chase down the likes of Min Woo Lee, Joaquin Niemann and Adam Scott?
Rory McIlroy was an unlikely champion of the Australian cause last week. But have LIV Golf’s endless dollars priced our big events out of the market?
Cameron Smith is a huge drawcard for the Australian PGA and Australian Open, but the days of landing huge foreign names may be behind us.Credit: Getty
Adam Pengilly ponders the big questions. Read the full story here.