Anthony Quayle on track for incredible comeback at the Victorian PGA

Despite a ‘rookie mistake’ that cost him a staggering seven shots in the opening round, Anthony Quayle is closing in on one of greatest comebacks in Australian golf history at the Victorian PGA.

Anthony Quayle is on the cusp of achieving one of the greatest comebacks in Australian professional golf history after a “rookie mistake” misreading the rules cost him a staggering seven shots in the opening round of the Victorian PGA.

Quayle, who is one of the headline acts on the Mornington Peninsula this week, has spoken for the first time after owning up to using preferred lies – which weren’t in place – during the first round of the tournament on Thursday.

The 30-year-old, who finished third at the Australian PGA Championship behind Elvis Smylie and Cameron Smith a fortnight ago and has spent the majority of the year on the Japanese circuit, has played the last three weeks under local rules where players have been allowed to lift, clean and place their ball.

All three events have been plagued by torrential weather, rendering courses far from their best.

Golfers at the Victorian PGA were handed a document before the first round claiming there was a section of the third hole on Moonah Links’ open course which would be liable to preferred lies, but Quayle mistakenly thought it applied to all areas.

Anthony Quayle is on the cusp of one of the greatest comebacks in Australian golf history. Picture: Getty Images

It was only on the 15th hole when he was asked by his playing partner, American Tyler McCumber, if preferred lies were in place, did he consult the original memo and realised his mistake.

He immediately raised the issue himself with a rules official and decided not to continue playing until it was resolved.

It was determined Quayle had taken four preferred lies in his round up to that point, but in one instance, placed the ball back in the same spot.

He was forced to add seven penalty strokes to his score, and ended up signing for a one-over 73.

On Saturday, he classily addressed the ordeal and admitted it was no one’s fault but his own.

“It’s a mistake that’s totally on me and I totally own it,” Quayle said.

But after firing a 67 during his second round and then a six-under 66 on Saturday, Quayle (-9) vaulted back into contention and heads into the final round only three strokes behind Newcastle’s Jye Pickin and Sydney’s Jason Hong (-12).

Quayle would have had a four-shot lead with just 18 holes left without the preferred lies drama.

“After I had a bit of time to process what happened on Thursday night, I sort of grew the opinion that ‘let’s treat this as a bit of a challenge and see what we can do. Making the cut with a seven-stroke penalty is going to be impressive’,” he said.

“After I made the cut, now it’s ‘finish as high as I possibly can because it’s going to be pretty impressive wherever I finish this week’. I sort of want the story to be as good as it can be going forward.

“It could be one that I remember for a long time.”

.@acaseofthegolf1 Madness at the Victorian PGA. Tyler McCumber called 2 shots (instead of 1) on himself for mistakenly preferring a lie (when it was only PL on the 3rd hole)
Anthony Quayle did it 7 times on day 1. pic.twitter.com/hgyyS6ttcN

— Mike Clayton (@mikeclaytongolf) December 7, 2024

McCumber also incurred a two-stroke penalty in his first round for taking one preferred lie when he mistakenly believed he was right to do so, and he will start the final round just a shot behind Pickin and Hong.

Nineteen players were within four strokes of the lead heading into the final round as strong winds slowed scoring during the last couple of hours on Saturday.

WA ROOKIE DOULL RECORDS ONE OF THE WILDEST 18 HOLES IN MEMORY

When Jordan Doull signed for an even-par round in the Victorian PGA Championship, you would have thought it might have been just another day on the course.

But what the number didn’t show was perhaps one of the wildest 18 holes of golf in a professional tournament, earning him immediate virality.

The 25-year-old Western Australian, who only joined the professional ranks a few months ago, will have a tale to tell to his grandkids after playing some mesmerising golf which, at one stage, almost had him destined for rarefied air: shooting a round in the 50s.

But after having nine birdies through 11 holes at Moonah Links’ legends course, Doull had one of the most spectacular collapses in tour history, dropping nine shots on his final seven holes.

The stretch read like a horror script: bogey, par, double bogey, quadruple bogey, bogey, par, bogey. Even par for the round.

Jordan Doull almost shot a round in the 50s before a spectacular collapse. Picture: Golf Australia

“I was pretty headless,” Doull said. “I’m not going to lie. I just thought [during the back nine] if I could still shoot under par that would be OK. That’s the aim of the game, to shoot under par.

“I was talking to my girlfriend [fellow professional Kathryn Norris] about it and she said, ‘you still shot even, keep your head up. Go out there tomorrow [as] you’re obviously swinging it well’.

“I got a fair few texts. It was always support. Then you go look at the comments [on social media]. It is what it is. They don’t know who I am.”

What he did show is that he’s got some conviction, returning to the adjacent open course at Moonah Links on Friday and signing for a composed five-under 67 to safely make the cut and put himself in contention for the weekend.

Even that round wasn’t without a little drama after he made a double bogey on the 16th, wiped out by seven birdies.

“I played solid today to bounce back after yesterday’s debacle,” Doull said on Friday. “I hit it pretty well.”

Doull came agonisingly close to his first professional win when runner-up to Jack Buchanan after a playoff at the WA PGA Championship, and his mettle was on show as he clawed his way back into the Victorian PGA.

Tournament leader Jason Hong. Picture: Supplied Golf Australia

But he has some ground to make up on leader Jason Hong (-11), who is in a desperate fight to earn full playing rights on the PGA Tour of Australasia after winning his way into the Victorian PGA field through qualifying on Monday.

He shot a five-under 66 on the legends course on Friday.

“I’ve been playing well for a while at home, but I just haven’t had the opportunity to play,” the world No.1585 said. “I don’t have status anywhere. I played up on the PGA Tour Americas and lost my card there.

“I played this event last year on a sponsor’s invite. I feel like my game has improved a lot since last year. No one really knows because I haven’t had the opportunity to play and I’ve finally got the opportunity.”

Hong leads by one from Cory Crawford (-10) with Braden Becker (-9), who holed out from more than 110 metres for an eagle during his second round, a shot further back.

First round pacesetter Corey Lamb (-8) shot a one-under 71 on the open course on Friday.

Defending champion David Micheluzzi (-3) was edging his way up the leaderboard before a disastrous triple bogey on his second last hole left him lamenting an even-par 71.

HOW CAMERON SMITH COULD HELP GOLF CULT HERO TO FIRST PRO WIN

He went toe to toe with Cameron Smith for the biggest moment of his young professional career, and now cult hero Corey Lamb is using it as motivation for his first professional win.

The burly New South Welshman, known as “chops” to his mates, showed no ill effects of a taxing schedule as he made the early running at the Victorian PGA Championship on Thursday.

Lamb is playing his eighth tournament in nine weeks, the highlight of which was when he was paired with Smith for the final round of the NSW Open at Murray Downs Country Club last month.

Smith and Lamb finished in a tie for second behind winner Lucas Herbert, who was in the second-to-last group.

But Lamb grew in confidence after his game didn’t wilt under the spotlight of playing alongside the 2022 British Open champion, and it was on show as he fired a bogey-free seven-under 65 to be the early pacesetter at the Victorian PGA at Moonah Links.

Corey Lamb at the first round of the Victorian PGA at Moonah Links Photo: Golf Australia

The tournament is using two separate courses for the opening two rounds, with players to alternate between the legends and open courses.

Asked whether the experience alongside Smith has been an impetus, Lamb said: “Definitely. I’ve taken a lot out of it and I think it’s definitely helping how I’m playing.

“This is my third year [as a professional]. I haven’t played too good the first couple of seasons, but this year I’m finding out what works for me leading up to events.”

Lamb was drawn to play on Moonah Links’ legends course for his first round and will switch for his second round on Friday afternoon.

Long regarded as one of the brightest prospects in NSW, Lamb cashed more than $50,000 for his runner-up performance at the NSW Open and is on the cusp of entering the world’s top 1000 for the first time after he finished a stroke better than Smith at last week’s Australian Open.

Corey Lamb a stroke better than Cameron Smith (pictured) at the Australian Open. Picture: Getty Images

It lifted him to seventh on the PGA of Australia’s order of merit as he jostles for a DP World Tour card at the end of the season, while Smith jetted out of the country to play in this week’s $7.8 million Saudi International.

“It was weird,” Lamb said after his first round. “I hit it close on the first seven holes and only holed two of the putts. I got a bit cranky there, but then everything started going in.

“I hit the ball so good. Any course today, I think I would have played [well]. I kept it down the fairway all day. Bogey free and no trouble at all.”

Lamb (-7) leads by one from Cory Crawford, Joshua Greer, Jason Hong, Dylan Gardner and Connor McDade, who all played their first rounds on the adjacent open course.

Queensland’s Tim Hart (-5) was putting together a contender for round of the day, but signed for a triple bogey on the par-four sixth to sour eight birdies on the legends course.

“I’ve been struggling for a while swing wise and a few things going on with my body I had to sort out,” he said. “You lose confidence pretty quickly in this game.

“But just going out there, I hit it pretty well apart from that one tee shot. There are some good signs. It’s all coming together and hopefully I can keep doing that for the rest of the week.”

Defending champion and DP World Tour member David Micheluzzi (-3) opened with a solid 68.

Originally published as Anthony Quayle on track for incredible comeback at the Victorian PGA