McLeod, Jager share lead after first round
SYDNEY: Jake McLeod continued his strong home season with a 6underpar 66 to take a share of the lead alongside compatriot Matt Jager after the first round of the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast yesterday.
Queenslander McLeod, who claimed his maiden professional title at the New South Wales Open earlier this month, rolled in six birdies in a bogeyfree round to upstage a slew of bigger names at the European Tour cosanctioned event.
He and Western Australian Jager ended the day one stroke ahead of South Korean Eom Jaewoong and Australian Dimitrios Papadatos, who came second at the Australian Open two weeks ago, at the Royal Pines Resort.
McLeod finished third at the Australian Open at The Lakes course in Sydney and the 24yearold credited his recent good form to the help of a new psychologist.
‘‘I just need to stay really focused on the shot and have a bit of a laugh out there and just stay relaxed,’’ McLeod, who got off to a flying start with four birdies in six holes after teeing off from the 10th, said.
Jager also started brightly in brilliant sunshine from the 10th, grabbing eagles at the par5 12th and 15th holes to make the turn at 4under before adding three birdies and a lone bogey to close out his round.
John Senden, twice a winner on the PGA Tour, was left fuming with officials at the ninth when his driver’s shaft snapped midswing at the tee and pinched his hand.
Although the bighitting Aus tralian had not made contact with the ball, it was ruled a stroke.
Lacking another driver in his bag, the 47yearold removed the tee and hit his second shot with an iron before going on to bogey the hole.
Senden finished with an evenpar 72.
The best of the New Zealanders was Ryan Fox who shot 69. — Reuters
CANTERBURY will play Northland while Auckland will meet Wellington in the semifinals of the men’s national interprovincial team tournament on the Clearwater course in Christchurch this morning.
Canterbury topped division one on a countback of games from Wellington while Auckland was dominant in division two.
Otago lost any chance of making the playoffs after going down to Southland 32 yesterday morning.
Otago romped home against Tasman in the afternoon but it was too little too late and the team finished third in the second division.
This placed Otago sixth in the event as ManawatuWanganui, which was third in division one, had a superior point and game tally.
Otago looked set to beat Southland when leading 3.51.5 with six holes to play.
‘‘But the Southland boys finished well turning the tables and they deserved the win,’’ Otago coach Ben Gallie said.
Southland No 1 Mat Tautari was 5under on his way to beating Inia Logan on the 17th green.
Otago No 2 Brandon Hodg
son was two ahead of Tyler McLean after 12 holes but McLean birdied 14 and 15 while Hodgson finished with two bogeys.
Otago No 3 Jack Turner had two wins on his 19th birthday, beating Liam Hewitt in the morning and Tasman’s Brook Hale in the afternoon.
No 4 Scott Hellier had the measure of Liam Balneaves on the front nine but the Southlander birdied 13 and sank a 12m putt for a birdie two on the 16th hole to turn the tables.
In a battle of the reserves at No 5, Duncan Croudis finished with a lastgreen win over Southland’s Brad Harper.
Otago was always in control in the afternoon with some impressive winning margins over its Tasman opponents.
The team needed Taranaki to beat Northland in the final round to finish second and make the playoffs but Northland won three of its five games over Taranaki.