Gold Coast: Australia’s Andrew Dodt carded eight birdies to be the clubhouse leader at a storm-hit Australian PGA Championship, with former winner Adam Scott three off the lead at Royal Pines on Thursday.
Two-time European Tour winner Dodt came home in 31 to be seven-under for the tournament after a 65 and hold a two-shot lead over New Zealander Ryan Fox and American Julian Suri.
American Harold Varner III made a late charge to five-under after four consecutive birdies and then another on the 13th before having to scurry for cover as a thunderstorm deluged the course and forced play to be abandoned for the day.
Almost half the field are still to complete their first round and will return at 5am Friday, with the second round teeing off at 7am.
World No. 7 Adam Scott, who has finished first and second in his last two appearances at Royal Pines, was in a group of players three shots off the lead.
Dodt started on the 10th and turned in 34 with three birdies and a bogey but came to life on the front nine.
He birdied the first, third and fifth to join a four-way tie for the lead and then broke away with closing gains on the eighth and ninth.
Starting on the back nine, Scott reached the par-five 12th in two and then rolled in a 40-foot putt to reach two under.
He had a bogey on the 18th but rallied to card three consecutive birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth.
Australian Jarrod Lyle had a hole-in-one on the fifth hole with a seven iron from 179 yards with the ball bouncing just short of the green, taking two more hops before rolling into the hole.
The A$1.5 million (Dh4 million) event, which is being co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the second season, marks the start of the 2017 Race to Dubai.
