McLeod to splash out if PGA goes his way
JAKE McLeod will shout himself a $70,000 LandCruiser if he pulls off an upset Australian PGA win over headliner Cameron Smith, the former Queensland teammate he once duelled with for push-ups and $5 bets.
Smith’s hot seven-underpar 65 vaulted him from 23rd to the lead on Friday at Royal Pines when the leaderboard took a dream shape for organisers on the Gold Coast.
Defending champion Smith (70-65) is such a hard marker he was still disappointed that he was a shot short of the 10under position he’d targeted even with eight birdies in his pocket.
Marc Leishman (68-68) is ominously poised one stroke behind in his focused chase for the “missing piece to my resume”, a trophy from one of Australia’s big events.
Emerging young gun McLeod (66-70) sits with him in second spot after losing the lead when he tugged a drive wild left and out of bounds on the par four 17th where he took a double bogey.
McLeod’s smiling, shrug-itoff demeanour has impressed everyone during his win at the NSW Open, a third at the Australian Open and in hard spots like the 17th.
“It was definitely out, by no more than a ball, but it was a bit messy there with the fence bent and leaves everywhere,” McLeod, 24, said.
“I’m fine. It’s great to be up there with Cam, see where he’s at and compare a little to one of the best in the world.”
McLeod’s ripping three wood second shot into the par five 12th set up an eagle putt from inside 2m and a threeshot lead.
The duo were gun amateurs in the Queensland team that won the 2013 Interstate Teams event at Tasmania Golf Club.
The inspirational commentary of Adam Scott’s Masters victory that same week at Augusta was pumped through the bus on the way to their own victory.
“Cam and I and the other boys would sometimes throw in $5 when we played a few holes in practice or simply do it for push-ups depending on how far behind you were,” McLeod said.
“I’m sure Cam did a few push-ups.”
Smith has won $10 millionplus around the world since those frugal days but has never changed because he was the grounded star getting photos taken post-round with juniors from his own humble Wantima Country Club.
Mixed into the script are young guns Dimi Papadatos (67-70), Matt Jager (66-71) and Anthony Quayle (70-69) and American Harold Varner III (69-69), at his happy hunting ground.
English cult hero Andrew “Beef” Johnston (70-69) nearly walked off on Thursday morning but he was high-fiving amid rousing and raucous “BEEF” calls from a falsebeard wearing fan club when he chipped in for birdie on the party hole 16th.
“I know Jakey’s had a really good year and you want good people to do well,” Smith said.
“You never complain about 7-under and I’m really pleased with the way I read the greens because there is a mental thing to whacking the ball so hard when it’s into the grain,” Smith said.
Leishman made six birdies and was pleased with his position but had to shed the angst of pulling a ball into the water on the ninth and “a massive mis-hit” nine iron on the par three 16th that found a poached egg lie in the bunker for another bogey.
John Senden (72-78) missed the cut and his snapped club drama from Thursday hung over him.
Keperra teaching pro and close mate Chris McCourt drove down from Brisbane at 4am with a new shaft to repair the broken driver.