Defending champion Phoenix Campbell five ahead of Cam Smith at Queensland PGA
Phoenix Campbell in action on day two – image Australian Golf Media
In what is shaping as a fascinating final 36 holes of the Queensland PGA Championship at the Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane, one of the game’s current greats, Cam Smith, finds himself five shots off the lead held by defending champion and recently turned professional Phoenix Campbell of Victoria.
Playing in the afternoon group on day two, Smith could only manage a round of even par 72 while Campbell added a second round of 68 to his opening 66 to head into the weekend one ahead of Gold Coast teenager and amateur, Billy Dowling.
Campbell, who recovered from an opening 75 in last year’s victory and began the weekend only two shots inside the cutline, played in the group ahead of Smith today and birdied three of his first seven holes to take the lead.
His only real mistake came at the 9th hole which he bogeyed but other than that blemish it was yet another solid round.
“I can’t really worry about what everyone else is doing,” Campbell told the PGA of Australia after his round. “I’ve got to just stick to my game. That’s all I can control.
“I didn’t play quite as well as I did yesterday. I missed a couple of greens and made some really good up-and-downs, which kind of kept me in it.
“It wasn’t my best stuff, but I hung in there all day.”
Campbell turned professional after the recent Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan and is playing in just his third event as a professional, one of those when runner-up in South Austalia last weekend.
Despite being five off the lead, Smith is happy with his performance over the opening 36 holes.
“It probably wasn’t as bad as what it looked,” said Smith. “It actually felt pretty good.
“It just seems like there’s a lot of birdie chances out there if you take driver. It’s what I did yesterday and kind of worked out and today not so much.
“The putter was a little bit cold. I hit a lot of lips but still feel like I played some pretty solid golf. Just wasn’t my day kind of thing.”
19-year-old Dowling has shown in the professional events he has played to date that he is perhaps a future star of Australian golf and, in fact, finished 15th in this event last year.
The cut fell at 3 over par with 55 golfers making through to the final 36 holes.
Cam Smith with standing in caddy and long-time coach Grant Field – image Australian Golf Media
