Cameron Davis leads Australian Open golf tournament as Jason Day lurks

Cameron Davis turned professional barely 12 months ago but he found himself at the top of the Australian Open leaderboard today.

Cameron Davis tees off on the 10th hold during the first round of the Australian Open Golf Championship at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney today. Photo: AAP

Cameron Davis turned professional barely 12 months ago but yesterday he found himself at the top of the Australian Open leaderboard midway through the opening round of the national championship.

Davis, who spent a large chink of his maiden year as a professional playing on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada, shot an eight under par 63 as the early starters got the best of the conditions at The Australian Golf Club.

Jason Day (65) was among them, although a double bogey late in his round tarnished an otherwise solid start to his pursuit of the Stonehaven Cup as he finished three shorts behind Davis.

American world No.2 Jordan Spieth is among those in the afternoon groups. Davis set a cracking pace over his opening eight holes as he registered six birdies.

He stumbled at the par four 9th but regrouped on the back nine as he recorded another three birdies.

“I played the NSW Open last week and I didn’t have a great week but I just came off a good tournament overseas in America,” Davis said.

“So I knew there was some good golf around the corner. I just had to work my way through. I knew this golf course well. I played here eight times in five days (as an amateur). I got to know it pretty well. I saw some places I shouldn’t have. It’s nice to play it that many times and be able to come back and see now too much has changed. So it was very familiar.”

Day had eight birdies, a bogey and a galling double bogey as he put himself in the thick of contention on the opening day. The former world No.1 arrived in Sydney in a confident move and showed exactly why as he gave a healthy gallery value for money.

“It was nice to be able to play well in front of them,” Day said. “I made a couple of mistakes out there with some swings but made eight birdies and finished at five under, which as nice start to the week. I am definitely looking forward to the next few days. It was exciting to play. The crowds were terrific out there.”