Shane Tait shares day one lead at Queensland PGA
BY Bruce Young | Von Nida Tour | 2003 Queensland PGA | Round One | 06 Nov 2003
The first round of the 2003 Queensland PGA Championship is now complete and two players share the lead at the end of day one, although their rounds came at different ends of the day. Victorian Larry Austin stole the early headlines with his morning round of 64 but he would be joined later in the day by Shane Tait who had the more difficult afternoon conditions to contend with.
Richard Swift and Kyle Woodbine who also played early today, share second place along with New Zealander Mahal Pearce, Brisbane’s Marcus Cain and Jason King, who now bases himself on the Gold Coast.
Typical of afternoon conditions here on the Gold Coast, the breeze developed late in the morning and the golf course perhaps played a shot or so tougher for the afternoon field.
It did not appear to bother the likes of Tait, Pearce and King, however. Tait was out in four under 32, then followed birdies at the 10th, 12th 13 and 14th for him to be at eight under with four to play and he stayed that way. Pearce too was making a move, more especially after making the turn in two under. The current New Zealand Open Champion birdied his tenth hole, eagled the 11th, then birdied the 13th and 14th to be at seven with four to play and held that position.
26-year-old Victorian Larry Austin produced his best round in professional golf with a first round 64. Originally from Canberra, Austin was a member of the AIS Academy in 1999 and is now in his fourth year in professional golf.
Austin got off to a hot start today and was within an inch of going seven under through seven holes but bogeyed his penultimate hole to finish at eight under.
Tait has returned from a long campaign on the Nationwide Tour in the US having made a good start on that tour with his second place at the Jacobs Creek Classic earlier in the year. His form has not been so good in the latter part of the year but this is a solid return to Australian golf having arrived back from the US just a week ago.
Pearce said he is relieved to be back playing tournament golf after a long cold winter in New Zealand.
“I tried to get a start in several events on the Nationwide Tour in the US in May but had to Monday qualify to do so and found it difficult so I returned to New Zealand for much of the winter. It is great to be playing again and after the event in Victoria a month or so ago and last week’s Queensland Open my game is building. I’m really enjoying the course and looking forward to the next few days.”
Jason King is a pupil of Gary Edwin on the Gold Coast and has just returned from an unsuccessful attempt to gain his European Tour card. He had joined the lead at the fifteenth but his bogey at the next hole saw him slip one back and that is where he stayed.
Lucas Parsons wasn’t going to miss the fun and after getting a late start in the event, he has justified the decision by the sponsors to invite him to the Gold Coast. Parsons has fond memories of both Emerald Lakes and the Gold Coast having won the Queensland PGA twice in the late nineties and in 1998, won a substantial pro am at this very venue. Parsons has just returned from a disappointing season in Europe and is looking for his love of the Gold Coast and golf here to rekindle his form.
There was much interest in the performance of Scott Draper and when he reached three under after seven holes he gave those following a glimpse of his golfing talent. He faltered over the closing holes to finish at one over 73 but clearly this a young man with incredible sporting talent and someone, if and when he choose to dedicate himself to golf, could do well. He suggested afterwards that he had been shown up by his more experienced playing partners but there was every reason to believe that they were genuinely impressed by his performance.
