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Kobori leads at Australian PGA as Min Woo Lee, Penge lurk / Photo: Martin KEEP - AFP
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Kobori leads at Australian PGA as Min Woo Lee, Penge lurk
New Zealand's Kazuma Kobori fired a stunning eight-under-par 63 to take a one-stroke lead at the Australian PGA Championship on Friday as breakout DP World Tour star Marco Penge and PGA Tour winner Min Woo Lee charged up the leaderboard.
A day after recording a hole in one, Kobori reeled off five birdies in 12 holes at Royal Queensland Golf Club to rocket up the leaderboard at the DP World Tour's season-opening event.
A bogey at 14 failed to stop his momentum as he responded with four consecutive birdies to take the 36-hole lead at 10 under.
"That's pretty cool," Kobori said of his halfway lead.
"I struck the ball really well after I snap-hooked one into the trees on number 14. Something must have clicked and then I started flagging (iron shots close) and I was putting well all day."
While he enjoyed a stellar Friday, 2022 British Open winner Cameron Smith missed his seventh straight cut.
The Australian LIV Golf star faded badly to card a four-over 75 and be 12 off the pace, compounding an alarming slump in form.
Anthony Quayle, who has Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams on the bag, kept Kobori within striking distance with a 66 to climb to nine-under alongside little-known fellow Australian Brett Rankin and China's Ding Wenyi.
A shot back at eight-under was a group including 2023 champion and home hope Min Woo Lee.
LIV's Marc Leishman and Penge were among those at seven under.
The Englishman Penge, second to Rory McIlroy on the DP World Tour rankings, was six under for the day.
Quayle said he witnessed at one moment on Friday why Williams helped Woods to 13 of his 15 majors.
New Zealander Williams called Quayle off his approach shot to the par-4 10th and told his boss the wind had changed and to hit it softer.
Quayle regrouped and struck an iron to close range to make one of six birdies.
"He had the courage to say, 'Sorry, I’ve got to stop you.' It's unbelievable, that trait is something that's so rare," Quayle, who had just one bogey, said.
Play was suspended due to darkness late in the day with more than 20 golfers still to complete their second rounds, although none were in contention.
(D.Lewis--TAG)
