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November 25, 2011

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Bowditch, Choi share first round lead in Coolum

STEVEN Bowditch holed a long putt off the 18th green to snatch a share of the lead with South Korea's Choi Joon-woo after the first round of the Australian PGA Championship in Coolum yesterday, as Greg Chalmers celebrated an ace on the second.

Australian Bowditch's final hole birdie capped a 6-under 66 and left him and Choi a stroke above a group of four including American Bubba Watson on a gusty day at the Hyatt Regency Coolum course on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

"My putting (and) my short game was pretty scrappy around the greens (but) I hit the ball probably as good as I have hit it for a good six or seven months today, so it could have been better or it could have been worse," the 28-year-old told reporters.

British Open champion Darren Clarke made a solid start in the A$1.5 million (US$1.45 million) tournament, posting a 3-under 69 to lie three off the pace in a clutch of players including South Korea's Y.E. Yang, Australia's Jason Day and American young gun Rickie Fowler.

"I made a couple of silly plays because I don't know the course and that is where it cost me, especially around that top nine, but it was a good start," said jet-lagged Ulsterman Clarke.

"It is a long way from home in Britain and I'm a little bit tired but I'll have a good rest and get ready for tomorrow."

Local favorite Adam Scott provided one of the day's talking points after posting a topsy-turvy 70, recovering from a horror start with six birdies in his last nine holes. After a birdie on the first, the world No. 7 found water three times as he racked up a triple-bogey, a double-bogey and two bogeys in his next six holes before recovering to finish only four off the pace.


 

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