Young gun Elvis Smylie stole the show at Royal Queensland, firing a brilliant 65 to take the first-round lead at the Australian PGA Championship.
The 22-year-old local, son of former tennis pro Liz Smylie, made the most of his home-course advantage to edge ahead of a star-studded field.
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“It’s only an hour’s drive from home,” Smylie said. “I’ve played tons of golf here and everything in my game is clicking right now.”
Big names Cameron Smith and Jason Day both shot solid 4-under 67s to stay within striking distance, just two shots off the pace.
Day’s making his first appearance on home soil in seven years, and you could tell he was pumped to be back. The former world number one hasn’t played the Australian PGA since 2011.
“It’s always a bit nerve-wracking playing at home,” Day admitted after his round. He seemed to enjoy being grouped with Smith and Min Woo Lee, especially watching Lee’s monster drives.
Four players are bunched up in second place at 5-under: Joel Girrbach, Victor Perez, Cristobal del Solar, and Matias Sanchez.
Defending champ Min Woo Lee managed a respectable 68, despite some tough breaks throughout his round.
Smith, the 2022 Open Champion, battled through a head cold but still put together a solid round.
“Think all the rain earlier this week got to me a bit,” Smith said. “Just dealing with a cold, but I’ll be fine.”
It’s been a busy stretch for Smith, who’s playing his third straight week down under. He’s still smarting from a tough loss at last week’s NSW Open, where he let a two-shot lead slip away in the final round.
Former U.S. Open champ Geoff Ogilvy showed he’s still got game, posting a tidy 69.
The tournament marks the start of the 2025 European Tour season and is co-sanctioned with the PGA Tour of Australasia. Many players will head to Melbourne next week for the Australian Open, which will run alongside the Women’s Australian Open at Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Club.
