Cameron Smith endured one more hometown horror present because the three-time Australian PGA Champion suffered a nasty run of type, dropping his card with a 4-over 75 and lacking out on qualifying for the seventh yr in a row.
The native up-and-comer began Friday’s spherical at 2-under predicted on the reduce line and went for an early birdie, however twice left the ball on the rim of the cup.
After bogeying the eleventh gap and dropping beneath the road, a panicked Smith watched on as his par putts slipped away on the thirteenth and 14th on the Royal Queensland Golf Membership.
He had a glimmer of hope with an 8-foot birdie on the seventeenth celebration gap, however his destiny was sealed when he missed the inexperienced on the 18th and three-putted for double bogey.
He completed 2 over and 9 below, far off a crowded leaderboard led by early clubhouse leaders Brett Rankin, Kazuma Kobori, Ding Wen-Yi and Anthony Quayle. They have been all scheduled to play not less than one gap.
Rankin, who was 7 below via 18 holes, led the clubhouse at 9 below regardless of a double bogey on the penultimate gap.
After that, 2023 champion Lee Min-woo joined in, and after making six birdies, his closing bogey introduced him inside one stroke.
Cameron Davis, Daniel Hillier, Mark Leishman and Marco Penge (7 below) are all inside putting distance on the crowded leaderboard, whereas Ryan Fox drops three strokes within the closing levels to stay at 5 below.
Adam Scott (6-under) fell again due to an extended birdie putt on the seventeenth, and defending champion Elvis Smiley (2-under) rallied to qualify, however European hotshots Joaquin Niemann (even-par) and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (5-over) each struggled.
Smith was in tears on Friday after taking pictures a seven-over-par 78 and failing to qualify for the 2023 Royal Queensland Championship, marking his worst day as knowledgeable.
Nonetheless, he returned final yr and completed runner-up, solely to lose within the playoffs on the Saudi Worldwide shortly thereafter.
The previous world No. 2 and 2022 Open Championship winner was ignored attributable to his sturdy type, making him the one participant to overlook out on all 4 majors this yr.
He then misplaced his subsequent two tournaments and can arrive in Melbourne for subsequent week’s Australian Open on a winless streak that’s approaching two-and-a-half years.
Taking part in associate Lee, who made an enormous breakthrough this yr along with his first win on the U.S. PGA Tour, was unaffected by the carnage as he was choosing up photographs usually, and Davis confirmed no indicators of getting rusty in his first event since dropping out early on the PGA Tour in August.
Leishman rallied earlier within the day, chipping in from the No. 7 bunker for eagle, then swiping his driver off the golf green and ending his spherical with three birdies in an exciting collection.
The 42-year-old former Greg Regular Medal winner has by no means received a serious Australian title however vowed to stay daring in his quest for a title.
“We’re golfers and entertainers, and we actually take pleasure in entertaining, whether or not it is a driver off the deck or a cool, spinning bunker shot,” Leishman stated.
“We play like we play at residence, not careless photographs, simply enjoyable photographs and attempting other ways to get the pin.
“I am at all times preventing and attempting to problem myself…to realize plenty of pins that some folks cannot obtain.”
