Smith and Smylie lead into PGA’s final round
Cam Smith in action today – image Australian Golf Media
Cameron Smith shares the lead with outstanding young Australian prospect and first-round leader, Elvis Smylie, into tomorrow’s BMW Australian PGA Championship, as he chases a 4th victory in this prestigious Australian flagship event.
Smith added a 2nd round of 65 in the weather-reduced event today to move to 10 under but just 30 minutes or so after he had posted his score he was joined by Smylie who birdied his final hole to establish a fascinating scenario for tomorrow’s final round.
The pair are one ahead of Smith’s fellow LIV Golf team member Marc Leishman but lurking within four shots of the lead and just close enough to be considerations tomorrow are another 13 players including, at 6 under par, PGA Tour luminaries Jason Day and Cam Davis.
With the weather gods turning in favour of the tournament on day three after yesterday’s round had been washed out by the deluge of rain over the last few days in Brisbane, Smith birdied three of his first four holes and added another three by the 15th.
His only mistake came at the par 4 16th when he found the trees right of the fairway and missed the green with a lefthanded full shot but he would then go close to a hole in one for another birdie at the party hole and managed to par the last to take the lead into tomorrow’s final day.
South African and recent PGA Tour graduate, Aldrich Potgeiter, had jumped out of the blocks quickly and actually took the lead when he was the first to reach double digits under par when making the turn in 30 but he would drop two shots on the way in and finished at 8 under and two from Smith’s lead.
Smylie, who a few weeks ago won his first Australasian Tour title with victory in the WA Open, is a former Australian Boy’s Champion who has shown on many occasions during his three-year professional career that he has the game to eventually succeed at perhaps the highest level.
An opening bogey after leading with a round of 65 on Thursday was not the start he was looking for but to his credit he came back with a round 67 including three birdies in his last five holes to join Smith in the lead.
Injuries have proven an issue for the 22-year-old who carries a lithe physique, but a carefully managed strengthening regime has given him the capacity to overcome some of those issues and just how he handles the biggest day of his career tomorrow will be of great interest.
If Smylie was to win it would open up full access to the DP World Tour and given the need for a player in his situation to have such status, it would likely be the making of him.
That, however, is still 24 hours away but he is a very measured young man with one hell of a game and the sporting genes to handle most situations, his mother Liz Smylie being a multiple winner of major doubles tennis titles.
The cut fell at 2 under with defending champion Min Woo Lee just scrapping through to the final round.
