Australian PGA: Adam Scott surges up the leaderboard at Royal Pines
A ripping four iron shot on the 15th has pushed Adam Scott into favouritism in the Australian PGA at Royal Pines, but a childhood mate is pushing him all the way.
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If Adam Scott could roll up the 15th hole at Royal Pines and lay it out at every tournament it would be his magic carpet of green to hot rounds worldwide.
Nowhere in Australia is more truly “Scott-land” because the former world No.1 owns it with an astonishing scoring streak since the Australian PGA moved to the Gold Coast in 2013.
When he rolled in a 14m eagle putt on the par five on Friday, it did more than ignite his run to a five-under-par 67 and a serious shot at his first trophy since 2016. He is now a staggering 17-under for his 16 visits to the 517m hole, including four eagles and nine birdies.
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Scott is stalking a Christmas trophy because this round was stress-free with 16 greens hit in regulation and a broomstick putter behaving just as he wants it to.
He rated his ripping four iron to the 15th green as one of his best shots of the round and it followed an eagle there the previous day.
“It’s always on hitting 15 in two...the hole saved me on Thursday and kickstarted today when I knew I had to get moving,” Scott (70-67) said.
“It was the very solid round which I needed to stay on the pace.”
Two-time defending champion Cameron Smith needed an even bigger accelerator and his superb 65, with seven birdies, was one of his best rounds at the course.
He advanced from 89th after his lethargic opening 74 to sit in the top 10 and his dream of a rare three-peat has been revived.
Tucked pins and breezes still meant Smith and Scott had to earn every birdie.
On his final hole, the ninth, Scott yawned twice while waiting on the tee. A 6am tee time does that but a fine seven iron to the green set up a fourth birdie when another eagle try just curled away from the hole.
South Australian Wade Ormsby (68-69) finished at seven-under as well thanks to four early birdies before two bogey wobbles on the way home.
He was involved in the marathon 2014 play-off for the PGA with Scott when leftie Greg Chalmers hung tough to win on an 18th green that has since been dug up and dramatically remodelled as a tabletop with severe run-offs.
“I feel like that one got away, that was mine.,” Ormsby said.
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“Scotty and I probably have the same feelings about it because I know I missed a five or six-footer to win it on the second play-off hole.
“Anyway, you can’t change the past. It’s a completely different golf green there now...the green’s gone so the memory has gone.
“It’s nice to be hunt at the final event of the year.”
Ormsby played with Scott in Adelaide all through their teens and they travelled together to a world junior tournament in the US so a Sunday pairing would suit him just fine.
Perth young gun Min Woo Lee (68-72) wrestled with his game and body language and his rollercoaster was summed up by five birdies and the same number of bogeys.
Happy days for Quayle
Even Anthony Quayle’s honeymoon week is on the golf course yet he’s loving the new ring of confidence under his glove at the Australian PGA.
His fine 70-66 start has him nuzzled in second spot, one shot ahead of favourite Adam Scott (70-67) at a layout he plays regularly. Quayle sits one stroke off the leader Yuan Yechun (70-65), a 22-year-old rising star who plays on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour in the US.
Just don’t be hoodwinked into imagining Quayle hit Royal Pines exhausted by wedding planning duties for his big day with vivacious bride Sophia at Sanctuary Cove last Sunday.
“I confess. I probably had two per cent to do with the planning,” the Gold Coast-based pro said. “Basically, Sophia just showed me things to agree to like wedding cake designs and I had to turn up in my dinner suit.”
His wife has graduated from naturopath studies and they’ll share a real honeymoon in Europe travelling from Amsterdam to Rome once this PGA script plays out.
A $180,000 cheque for third at the Casio World Open on the Japanese Tour was a perfect way to start wedding month and a big finish on Sunday would be the ideal way to end it.
“It’s been an incredible finish to the year with my beautiful wife and I’m in a confident head space to play because this is a bit of a holiday week in my mind,” Quayle said.
He eagled the par five 15th with a 12m putt and made six birdies but Quayle rated his pivotal hole as the par save on the tough par four 13th when he drove the ball into the lake.
“That was the biggest moment...dropping a new ball 150m off the tee, hitting a two iron 245m and sinking a good 24-foot putt to save par,” Quayle, 25, said.
Some married golfers prefer not to play with a wedding ring under their glove because it affects their feel on the grip but Quayle doesn’t now have that worry.
“I thought it would be a little issue but I forgot to take the ring off for practice earlier this week and it was no problem at all. It’s staying on,” Quayle said.
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