QUEENSLAND: An emotional Daniel Popovic fired a sizzling eight-under-par 64 to grab a two-shot opening round lead at the Australian PGA Championship yesterday after Greg Norman withdrew due to a bout of food poisoning.
Popovic, who won the 2012 Australasian PGA qualifying school, flirted with the course record of 62 at the Palmer Coolum Resort in southern Queensland before settling two shots ahead of compatriot and clubhouse leader Scott Strange.
Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, China’s Zhang Xin Jun and Singapore’s Choo Tze-huang were further one shot behind at tied third.
Popovic birdied his first four holes and went on to sink five consecutive birdies in the round of his life before revealing his father’s battle against cancer.
“It really shook me around a lot. It still sort of does when I think about it,” the 26-year-old said.
“But I find a lot of strength in him; how he’s fighting that and how he really wants me to push forward with my golf and find happiness through him.
“It is a slow growing cancer but you are unsure of when the actual day will come.
“But he is a strong man and a very stubborn man and I think he’ll be here for a little while longer.”
Defending champion Greg Chalmers began his title defense with an even-par 72 while Northern Irishman Darren Clarke, the former British Open winner, carded a two-under-par 70 in the $1.3 million tournament.
The 57-year-old Norman bogeyed the first two holes of his opening round before deciding he could not continue.
Rookie Lipsky sets the pace in Johor Open
Meantime, Asian Tour rookie David Lipsky set the pace at the $2 million Iskandar Johor Open yesterday, holding the opening round lead at eight-under through 16 holes before a thunderstorm stopped play.
Australia’s Unho Park posted a flawless 65 for second place while Korean-American Kevin Na scored 66 to take third at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club.
Play was suspended in early afternoon and 84 players will resume their round at 7.15 a.m. Friday.
South Africa’s Peter Karmis scored 67 to take a share of fourth place with India’s S.S.P. Chowrasia, the Philippines’ Angelo Que and Australia’s Darren Beck, who is at five-under through 17 holes at the Asian Tour season-ending event.
Lipsky, a US player who won his maiden Asian Tour title in Cambodia earlier this year, stood on the brink of extending his advantage to two when his tee shot on the par-three eight landed within two feet of the pin.
But he was unable to tap in his birdie putt before horns signalled the suspension of play.
“I had a two-footer for birdie and I was looking to make that and finish the round strong,” said Lipsky in comments supplied by the organizers.
“I just made like three pars in a row before the delay so it didn’t stop any momentum. I would have preferred to sleep in but you can’t do anything about these weather conditions.”
Despite putting himself in a good position on the leaderboard after the opening round, Park said he is focused only on securing his Tour card for next season.
“I’m still trying to keep my card, that’s the focus. If I’m up there on the last day then it will be fantastic but right now, it will be a bonus if I can be inside the top-60,” said Park, who is currently in 66th place on the rankings.
Asian Tour Order of Merit contenders Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand and Australia’s Marcus Fraser are at one-under after 17 holes.
Completed scores after round one:
65 — Unho PARK (AUS)
66 — Kevin NA (USA)
67 — Peter KARMIS (RSA), Angelo QUE (PHI), S.S.P. CHOWRASIA (IND)
68 — Daniel CHOPRA (SWE)
70 — Michael TRAN (VNM), Sukree OTHMAN (MAS), ZHANG Lian-wei (CHN), Sam CYR (USA), Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA), Ron HARVEY JR (CAN)
Selected scores:
David LIPSKY (USA) -8 through 16 holes
Marcus FRASER (AUS) -1 through 17 holes
Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) -1 through 17 holes
Jbe KRUGER (RSA) Even-par through 17 holes
