Dodt leads storm-hit PGA, Scott 3 off top

GOLD COAST, Australia: 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 at will return at 5:00 am on Friday, with the second round teeing off at 7:00 am. World number seven 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 Aus$1.5 million dollar ($1.1 million) event, which is being co-sanctioned by the European Tour for the second season, marks the start of the 2017 Race to Dubai. — AFP Australian PGA Championship first round scores 65 - Andrew Dodt (AUS) 67 - Julian Suri (US), Ryan Fox (NZL) 68 - Natipong Srithong (THA), Nick Cullen (AUS), Geoff Drakeford (AUS), Todd Sinnott (AUS), Paul Waring (ENG), Adam Scott (AUS) 69 - Michael Sim (AUS), Niclas Johansson (SWE), Peter O’Malley (AUS), Rohan Blizard (AUS), Daniel Nisbet (AUS), Danny Lee (NZL) 70 - Daniel Popovic (AUS), Marc Leishman (AUS) Robert Allenby (AUS), Greg Chalmers (AUS), John Senden (AUS) 71 - Park Hyo-Won (KOR), Cameron Smith (AUS), Rhein Gibson (AUS) 72 - Stephen Gallacher (SCO), Thitiphun Chuayprakong (THA), Jake McLeod (AUS), Bradley Neil (SCO), Harry Bateman (NZL), Adam Blyth (AUS)