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Herbert and Rankin Lead Australian PGA Championship After 18

By Matt Coles

CRANS-MONTANA, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Lucas Herbert of Australia lines up a put on the seventeenth during Day Four of the Omega European Masters at Crans Montana Golf Club on September 01, 2019 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
CRANS-MONTANA, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Lucas Herbert of Australia lines up a put on the seventeenth during Day Four of the Omega European Masters at Crans Montana Golf Club on September 01, 2019 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) /
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The Australian duo of Lucas Herbert and Brett Rankin lead on home soil at the Australian PGA Championship after the opening day’s action.

The pair both carded opening rounds of 67 around the RACV Royal Pines Resort Golf Course on the Gold Coast, to hold a one-shot lead through day one at the Australian PGA Championship.

It could have been much better for Herbert, though, who sat at -8, after 12, following a run of four birdies and an eagle around the turn. However, three bogeys in his final six holes saw the Aussie drop back down to -5, where he is joined by countryman Rankin.

His round was more consistent, with just a single dropped shot coming at the par-3 14th. Rankin also carded six birdies to sit at the top of the leaderboard, with the pair holding a one-shot lead.

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Four Australians and a Kiwi make up the group in a tie for 3rd at -4, with Ryan Chisnall the highest-placed non-Australian after the opening salvo at Royal Pines.

The New Zealander carded a four-under-par 68 thanks to five birdies and a bogey in his opening round, and he is joined by Wade Ormsby, Min Woo Lee, Travis Smyth, and Nick Cullen.

Ormsby, a former European Tour winner, was the only member of the top seven to shoot a bogey-free round on Thursday, while Lee started horribly, with two early bogeys, but came back to finish the day at -4.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox is among those two shots off the lead, with major champions Adam Scott and Stewart Cink sitting a further shot back at -2.

The Australian, who is a Masters champion, is a former winner of this event, having taken the title back in 2013, its first edition at Royal Pines. Meanwhile, Cink is a British Open champion, having lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Turnberry in 2009.

The likes of Johannes Veerman and Cameron amp give the Americans a good showing inside the top 50, and also in the red numbers, with 42 players finishing their first rounds under par.

Meanwhile, for the two-time defending Australian PGA Championship winner Cameron Smith, it was a day to forget, as the home favourite carded a two-over-par 74.

His round started terribly, with a double and two bogeys inside his opening four holes. He then birdied three around the turn to return to +1, but a bogey on the 17th saw the Aussie drop a further shot, and he is now seven off the lead after 18 holes.

The action gets underway at 06:00 local time (GMT+11) on the Gold Coast with the two leaders not teeing off until at least 11 am. Will it be Herbert or Rankin that takes a big lead into Round 3? Or can a non-Australian push themselves into the mix?

Leaderboard (AUS unless stated):

T1 (-5): Lucas Herbert, Brett Rankin

T3 (-4): Min Woo Lee, Wade Ormsby, Nick Cullen, Travis Smyth, Ryan Chisnall (NZL)

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Selected Others:

T8 (-3): Ryan Fox (NZL)

T15 (-2): Adam Scott, Stewart Cink (USA), Johannes Veerman (USA)

T31 (-1): Bryce Easton (RSA), Cameron Champ (USA)

T43 (E): Jake McLeod, Pedro Figueiredo (POR), Nicolai Hojgaard (DEN)

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