Day burning up Coolum

Korean Joon-woo Choi has grabbed the early clubhouse lead at the Australian PGA with as 66, but Jason Day is charging hard.
South Korea’s Joon-woo Choi has grabbed the early clubhouse lead at the Australian PGA with as 66, but with Jason Day burning up the Coolum course, he might not still be there at day’s end.
Day, one of Australia’s most exciting major prospects, seems to have shrugged away his relatively ordinary form at last week’s President’s Cup and currently looms as a major threat to the course record of 62 after blazing through the turn in just 31 strokes, thanks to six birdies and a bogey.
Adam Scott, Australia’s highest ranked golfer right now, is also in the frame after a horror back nine that included a triple bogey, a double bogey and a pair of bogeys that left him at plus five.
Undaunted, Scott showed great courage and tenacity to hit back on the front nine – he had teed off on the 10th – with six birdies in seven holes to the 7th to finish with a 70.
Scott’s woes stemmed largely from three visits to the water in four holes from the 11th.
Choi, in the meantime, was another who didn’t have a perfect day, dropping a shot on either side of the turn, but he otherwise found the course to his liking as he also collected an eagle and four birdies.
Also back in the clubhouse just a shot adrift of Choi on 67 was American Presidents Cup star Bubba Watson, who had six birdies and a bogey, and New South Welshman Aaron Townsend who had five birdies on a flawless day.
Victorian Marcus Fraser, Kiwi Josh Geary and Kang-chun Wu from China are tied for fifth at 4-under while British Open champion Darren Clarke, triple Australian PGA winner Robert Allenby, the International Presidents Cup star KT Kim and Aaron Baddeley are among a large group in eighth place at three under.
Rain has started to fall as the afternoon wears on and the temperature has dipped to about 24 degrees, but predicted storms have not yet arrived even though thunder has been heard rumbling and the south-easterly wind is now gusting at close to 30km/h.
Latest
-
Instruction
9 outstanding pieces of Sam Snead advice for every golfer to follow
Sam Snead’s wisdom rings true.
-
Equipment
The ten golf balls that fly longest in robot testing
The longest balls available to golfers commercially have been revealed in new research.
-
Courses
The best public courses in North Carolina featuring 3 of the Pinehurst 9
The best public courses in North Carolina.
-
Instruction
Here are 3 things you can do to combat wayward trailing elbow position
These three drills will help get your elbow in place to drive your club through the ball efficiently.
-
Courses
Golf’s different course types explained – including a possible seventh
What makes a course fall into one category or another.
-
News
Every golfer rewarded with a PIP Rankings bonus in 2022-23
The controversial PIP rankings are in.
-
Equipment
Adam Scott trialling the Ping G430 LST driver
Adam Scott is trying out a Ping driver again.
-
News
New LPGA tour schedule drops with historic purse increases
The LPGA announced a $116.5 million total purse in 2024.
-
News
WATCH: The relatable moment a pro loses three clubs to a tree
Losing one club to a tree might be considered unlucky, but losing three is just careless.