Kangaroos frolic on the fairway during the first round of the Australian PGA golf Championship
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 on Thursday, 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," the 28-year-old, a resident of the area, told reporters.
British Open champion Darren Clarke made a solid start in the A$1.5 million ($1.45 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 young gun 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 Ulsterman 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.