Opening 69 leaves Clarke three behind the leaders

STEVEN BOWDITCH holed a long putt off the 18th green to snatch a share of the lead with South Korea’s Choi Joon-woo after the first round of the Australian PGA Championship in Coolum yesterday, as Greg Chalmers celebrated an ace on the second.

Australian Bowditch’s final-hole birdie capped a six-under 66 and left him and Choi a stroke above a group of four including American Bubba Watson on a gusty day at the Hyatt Regency Coolum course on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

“My putting (and) my short game was pretty scrappy around the greens (but) I hit the ball probably as good as I have hit it for a good six or seven months today, so it could have been better or it could have been worse,” said the 28-year-old, a resident of the area.

British Open champion Darren Clarke made a solid start in the €1.08 million tournament, posting a three-under 69 to lie three off the pace in a clutch of players including South Korea’s YE Yang, Australia’s Jason Day and American Rickie Fowler.

“I made a couple of silly plays because I don’t know the course and that is where it cost me, especially around that top nine, but it was a good start,” said jet-lagged Clarke. “It is a long way from home in Britain and I’m a little bit tired but I’ll have a good rest and get ready for tomorrow.”

Local favourite Adam Scott provided one of the day’s talking points after posting a topsy-turvy 70, recovering from a horror start with six birdies in his last nine holes.

After a birdie on the first, the world number seven found water three times as he racked up a triple-bogey, a double-bogey and two bogeys in his next six holes before recovering to finish only four off the pace.

Chalmers, who saw off a challenge from Tiger Woods to win the Australian Open in Sydney earlier this month, recovered from a double-bogey on the first with his hole-in-one on the 158-metre par-three second.

Chalmers’s tee-shot landed a few metres from the flag, bounced twice before curling into the hole as the Australian went on to post a one-under 71.

Having seen Tristan Lambert, Rohan Blizard, Clarke and Fraser all lead during the morning and then Watson and Aaron Townsend post 67s, Choi reached the turn two under and picked up an eagle and three birdies coming home.

“I played this course last year for four rounds so I know the course well [and] I’m really enjoying being able to play here again,” he said. “This is a very big tournament, there are many good players in the field so it is very competitive out there (and) I have to make sure I don’t get too excited in the coming days if I want to keep playing well.”