Elvis Smiley felt the golf gods were on his side as the young Australian upstaged global superstar Rory McIlroy to take the lead at the Royal Melbourne Open.
Smiley was the clubhouse leader by three strokes when Thursday’s first round began with a 6-under 65.
Grand Slam winner McIlroy endured a roller-coaster match in difficult conditions on a windswept sand strip course, with the world number two posting a high standard with five birdies and six bogeys.
Among other tournament draw players, Australian guns Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee are both 2 under, while Cameron Smith is 1 under.
Smalley’s performance has continued his impressive trajectory over the past 12 months after winning the 2024 Australian PGA Championship.
Smiley, who played alongside former British Open champion Smith and former Masters champion Danny Willett of England on the composite course, bogeyed the 10th hole but never looked back.
He made three consecutive birdies between the 13th and 15th holes, then added four more birdies on the back nine.
Smiley started on the par-4, his tenth, and hit a spectator with a wayward shot on the green before rolling back into position to allow him to make birdie.
“The wind was coming from the left and I just didn’t block it and I think it hit him in the foot,” said Smiley, who competes on the DP World Tour.
“Luckily I don’t think it hit him hard and then it bounced up to about five feet and I was able to roll it in.
“So I think when something like this happens, you know the golf gods are on your side that day.”
It was an example of McIlroy’s fanaticism as the crowd followed his team ten holes deep and the Northern Irishman gave the crowd victory with his first birdie.
But McIlroy, who won the tournament in 2013, found the gusty north wind challenging.
Masters winner Scott’s best hole of the day came on the par-5 14th, when he made a fine shot and then holed a 12-foot putt for eagle.
“It was a great day – I mean, it was a lot of fun playing with Rory and Min this morning and competing with the crowd for that 10th tee,” Scott said.
“The course held up well even in some of the most challenging winds I’ve probably played here.
“I’m happy with the end result, I mean, it’s easy to criticize but maybe I shouldn’t… It’s hard to control it.”
Leading Australian woman Steph Kyriacou made sure she had a front-row view of the world number 40 who volunteered to scoreboard the star trio.
Smith, who comes into the tournament after seven promotions and has gone more than two years without an individual tournament title, is finding some much-needed form.
The 2022 British Open champion had three birdies in four holes from 14 to 17, but lost with three bogeys on the back nine.
Other golfers among the early leaders include Englishman Eddie Pepperell and New South Wales golfer Corey Lamb, both at 3 under.
