Joel Moscatel carded a course-record equalling eight under par 63 to take the first round lead at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.
The Spaniard, ranked 1,162nd on the Official World Golf Ranking and making his first appearance on the DP World Tour as a professional, sits one stroke ahead of home favourite Min Woo Lee after his bogey-free effort at Royal Queensland Golf Club.
The 25-year-old made the turn three under par and then reeled off five consecutive birdies from the 12th to take the clubhouse lead, just one week on from Qualifying School Final Stage where he missed out on full playing privileges on the DP World Tour by a single stroke.
Lee sits one shot back after carding a seven under 64 as he hunts a second professional victory on home soil to follow up his ISPS HANDA Vic Open success in 2020. The 25-year-old carded eight birdies and a bogey to take second place after 18 holes.
Lee’s compatriot John Lyras is third on six under, with six players, including 2013 Masters Tournament winner and former World Number One Adam Scott, Lucas Herbert, Ryo Hisatsune and Connor Syme, in a share of fifth on five under par.
Player Quotes
Joel Moscatel: “It was a crazy round. We were so present, (my caddie and I) were enjoying a lot. He’s a good friend of mine too. He’s been caddying this year on tour for six months for Adri Arnaus, a good player on DP World Tour, so we just, we were so present that we were really enjoying the moment, so I think maybe that’s the secret.
“I didn’t even know it was the course record, we just played our golf and it was so nice to equal that record. It was so fun today.
“(Missing out at Qualifying School) was hard but, at the same time, (last year) I was playing on a satellite tour and some invites on Challenge Tour. So being able to plan full schedule on Challenge Tour this year was a big thing for me. I wanted to have it, but one shot in six days is nothing. So, it is what it is.”
Min Woo Lee: “Birdieing two of the last three was really nice. It seemed like if you don’t make birdie there, it seems like it’s a lost opportunity, so I felt like I didn’t leave much out there and it was a very solid round.
“I think I did everything pretty solid. I putted and chipped really nicely and then drove it really good. This course is quite wide, so you’ve got to hit decent approach shots around this course. You’ve got to miss them in the right spots. So, I think approach play was spot on today. I didn’t really miss too many greens, so that helped.”
Connor Syme: “Definitely came to life on the 18th.I made a kind of sloppy bogey on the party hole unfortunately and managed to roll five birdies in a row off after that, which was great and really turned my round around. It was good fun.
“It’s probably a little bit firmer than it was yesterday. I think the course is brilliant. It can be quite visually wide off the tee but definitely plays a little bit narrower than that. The greens are so undulating and tricky and that’s where you can definitely get found out around this course for sure. Plotting your way into the greens and stuff is really important. I enjoyed the challenge.”
Adam Scott: “(When it rained) I think that was when I was truly waking up maybe about 7. It happens. That’s kind of how it’s looking this week and to be expected. You’ve just got to keep making good swings at it and doing what you’re doing. I’ve played in plenty of squalls here and there. I’m just happy to have played a solid round and starting on the right foot anyway.”
