Australian PGA LIVE updates: Smith out to fight back as Luck makes ...

Here’s how the leaderboard is shaping up.

-9: Min Woo Lee-8: Lucas Herbert, Curtis Luck, Joel Moscatel (ESP).-7: Adam Scott-6: David Micheluzzi, Rafa Cabrera Bello (SPA), Austin Bautista, Connor McKinney, Cameron John, John Lyras.-5: Marc Leishman, Ben Eccles, Sam Brazel, Andrew Kelly, Elvis Smylie, Connor Syme (SCO).-4: Todd Sinnott, Daniel Hiller (NZL), Lawry Flynn, Cameron Davis, David Horsey (ENG).

Others: Robert MacIntyre (SCO) -3, Adrian Meronk (POL) -2, Cameron Smith +2

Oh, how big will that be in the end?

After leaving his wedges well short of the pin on the opening two holes, Cameron Smith flies the green this time. He’s left with a very difficult chip from below the green, and manages to leave himself 12 feet for par. You just feel like he has to make this to stay in the fight … and it sneaks in the side door. Is that the momentum changer he needed?

Meanwhile, the man is still cooking. Min Woo Lee has another birdie on the third and is now the outright leader at nine-under. He’s going to take some stopping. And his supporters are out in force.

And just ahead, Adam Scott now has back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes. He’s at seven-under. This leaderboard almost has it all .… except for Cameron Smith.

He might have made a hole-in-one on the party hole in front of almost nobody earlier this morning, but there’s a few others who are taking notice of Curtis Luck now as he makes it a four-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.

He’s made birdie on the ninth hole, his last of the day, for a four-under 67 to join Min Woo Lee, Lucas Herbert and Joel Moscatel at eight-under. It was only five or six years ago he was touted as Australian golf’s next big thing, but maybe this is the week he’s been looking for.

Not a lot to report yet from the other marquee group this afternoon with Adam Scott (-5), Cameron Davis (-3) and Adrian Meronk (-3) making six pars between them on the opening two holes. They could be the tallest group ever assembled in men’s professional golf.

The first few holes on this course are so crucial to scoring with three relatively short par-4s, which these guys will all be hitting wedges into with their second shots.

Royal Queensland’s biggest defence is not its length, but small elevated greens with so many run-offs which require super accuracy to be able to make birdies. Smith is finding that out the hard way today.

He has another short wedge into the second, but again leaves well short of the hole, albeit on the putting surface. This time his birdie putt is tracking beautifully … and it’s agonisingly short. He looks skyward and must be wondering if it’s going to be one of those weeks.

Meanwhile, Min Woo Lee has another great birdie chance. But he’s just left it hanging on the top side of the hole. Maybe a chance missed there.

It was a familiar theme yesterday and Cameron Smith is already cutting a frustrated figure on his opening hole as he leaves a wedge, from just 110 metres, short of the green and funnels back off the front.

That’s so unlike Australia’s No.1 player, who said yesterday he just couldn’t get anything near the hole. He makes the up and down to save par though, but he’s already giving ground to those he needs to chase.

His playing partner Min Woo Lee rifles one to within a few feet and makes his simple birdie putt to share the tournament lead at eight-under, while Robert MacIntyre leaves himself a chance from eight feet, which he also drains. Hot start for Lee and MacIntyre.

It must be said, there are some very healthy crowds out on the course today after the bizarre 6am local time start yesterday for the tournament’s top players.

Min Woo Lee tees off during his second round.Credit: Getty

It’s yellow day at the Australian PGA Championship in honour of the late Jarrod Lyle and Challenge, which supports kids with cancer. And it’s no surprise one of the cause’s biggest supporters, Lucas Herbert, who has been a late mover this morning.

The world No.69, who is trying to force his way into the top 50 by the end of the year to qualify for The Masters, had a sluggish start dropping three shots in his first five holes this morning before reeling off six birdies for the rest of his round.

He has just signed for a three-under 68 and has joined Spain’s Joel Moscatel at the tournament lead at eight-under. Moscatel will be out for his second round later this afternoon.

Lucas Herbert and his caddie Nick Pugh.Credit: Getty

Cameron Smith, Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee et al are only moments away from starting their second rounds with windy and grey conditions prevailing at the moment.

It’s almost unthinkable for tournament organisers, but Smith faces a battle to even make the cut unless he can get into gear today after an opening round 73. The cut is currently projected to be one-under, meaning Smith would have to pick up at least three shots to be around tomorrow.

But as he has said all week, his main focus for the Australian summer is to win next week’s Australian Open in Sydney, a tournament which has so far managed to elude him. He’s got three Australian PGA Championship titles already.

It could be a wild afternoon as he walks the tightrope to make the weekend.

Cameron Smith faces a battle to make the weekend.Credit: Getty

Here’s how the leaderboard is shaping up.

-9: Min Woo Lee-8: Lucas Herbert, Curtis Luck, Joel Moscatel (ESP).-7: Adam Scott-6: David Micheluzzi, Rafa Cabrera Bello (SPA), Austin Bautista, Connor McKinney, Cameron John, John Lyras.-5: Marc Leishman, Ben Eccles, Sam Brazel, Andrew Kelly, Elvis Smylie, Connor Syme (SCO).-4: Todd Sinnott, Daniel Hiller (NZL), Lawry Flynn, Cameron Davis, David Horsey (ENG).

Others: Robert MacIntyre (SCO) -3, Adrian Meronk (POL) -2, Cameron Smith +2

The story of the first round was Min Woo Lee’s seven-under 64 which catapulted him to within a shot of the lead from unheralded Spaniard Joel Moscatel, who is not even ranked inside the world’s top 100 players.

Lee is certainly determined to be a showman both on and off the course, as was evidenced by his golf bag.

Here’s a report on Australian golf’s biggest rising star and how he’s built a brand as big as his game, while his sister Minjee works her way to the top of the women’s ranks without the fuss.