Smylie stumbles, three-way tie sets up big final day of WA PGA

A disastrous double bogey on the 18th hole has left a Queensland young gun in a three-way tie for the lead as the WA PGA Championships heads toward an epic final day showdown.

Elvis Smylie stumbled on day two of the WA PGA Championship. Picture: Getty Images

A disastrous double bogey seven on the 18th hole has left Queensland young gun Elvis Smylie in a three-way tie for the lead as the WA PGA Championships heads toward an epic final day showdown in Kalgoorlie.

Six players are separated by just one stroke after three rounds, with Smylie’s 18th hole blunder costing the halfway leader a two-shot lead headed into the last day.

Smylie shot two-under 70 on Saturday to enter the final round tied in the lead at 12-under par with Jordan Doull (67) and Cameron John who posted the day’s best round with a 66.

Victorian 25-year-old John closed his day with four birdies in five holes to make his charge for the title, while Doull also signed off with a birdie on the par five 18th.

Queensland Elvis Smylie at the 2024 WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie. Photo: Alex Verhagen

But it was Smylie who was left upset at a poor end to the round. He had been five-under through 16 holes until a tricky chip from left of the green at the par-3 17th saw the Queenslander drop to 14-under-par and then a wayward tee shot that nestled in the desert debris led to a double-bogey at the par-5 18th.

The 22-year-old, who is still hunting his first victory on the domestic tour, now finds himself in a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard with Brett Rankin (67), Jack Buchanan (68) and Will Florimo (68) all now just one stroke off the lead.

“This is why I practise, and the fact that I get to put myself in a position like that again tomorrow, it’s only going to help me improve, not only as a golfer, but as a player,” said Smylie.

“I’m taking the positives out of today’s round heading into tomorrow. There was lots of good stuff. I made a lot of great putts when I needed to.

“Perhaps just a bit of a mental switch off on the last tee shot and I got into a bad position and then that led to a poor decision for my second shot and so on.

“But there’s lots of good stuff and my game feels great.”

Victorian Cameron John at the 2024 WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie. Photo: Alex Verhagen

Just eight days ago John was leading the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, and although he ultimately finished in a tie for 54th at St Andrews he said coming back from an international event with such experience has him confident ahead of a final round showdown in WA.

“I took a lot of confidence playing with some of the best players in the world and being able to sort of tick that box. Play really well, give myself a chance going into the weekend to win,” John said.

“First day (in Kalgoorlie) I was pretty much half asleep.

“Second day it got a little bit better. Jet lag, wasn’t so bad.

“It was a long, long journey back to Kalgoorlie, but it’s definitely been worth it so far.”

DAY 1 WRAP: YOUNG STAR SHARES LEAD

Five birdies over the final eight holes has catapulted rising Queensland sensation Elvis Smylie into a share of the lead at the WA PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie with NSW’s Lucas Higgins.

Smylie and Higgins made the most of the afternoon conditions to take a two-shot lead at the end of the second round at 10-under par, with Victorian Tom Power-Horan sitting just two strokes back in outright third after a stunning morning round that including an eagle and eight birdies in a round of 65.

Higgins, the 25-year-old from Murwillumbah near the Gold Coast, should have been the leader at halfway but bogeyed the par five 18th to move back into a share of the lead.

It was the only blemish in an otherwise superb round for Higgins, while Smylie mixed two bogeys with his eight birdies on the way to a round of 66.

It wasn’t quite as aggressive as adventurous as his opening round attack, when Smylie rattled off three eagles on the par fives but could only post a score of 68 with four bogeys.

He will enter the weekend as one of the players to beat with his ability to really attack the par fives giving him an ace up his sleeve.

“I’ve taken on a bit more of an aggressive attitude, especially towards the par-5s,” Smylie said.

“I feel like if I don’t at least be aggressive on those and go for the eagles, then I’m kind of losing shots.”

Elvis Smylie talks with his caddy at the 2023 Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club. Photo: Getty Images

Power-Horan was the clubhouse leader for most of the day. He opened with two bogeys in the first four holes, but quickly found his range as he rattled off birdie-eagle-birdie through holes five to seven to ignite his charge.

In the end Power-Horan signed for a seven-under 65 to be at eight-under par, closely followed by first round leader Kyle Michel, Lincoln Tighe, Jordan Doull and amateur Abel Eduard at seven-under par.

Michel made all the play in round one, shooting seven birdies on his way to a 66 that set the target for some low-scoring in round two.

“I just drove the ball really well. Just gave myself a lot of looks and seemed to roll in a few putts,” Michel said after his first round.

“I didn’t really find myself in much trouble, mainly on the fairway all day. That’s kind of the secret around here. You can give yourself some looks if you can do that.”

Originally published as Smylie stumbles, three-way tie sets up big final day of WA PGA