Australian PGA Championship 2016: Thursday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights

Andrew Dodt topped the leaderboard at the close of play on Thursday at the 2016 Australian PGA Championship with a seven-under 65, but play was suspended due to the threat of lightning and the first round will need to be completed on Friday.

Ryan Fox, Julian Suri and Harold Varner III are his closest rivals on five under, with the latter having only completed 14 holes at the RACV Royal Pines Resort in Benowa, Queensland.

Former Masters champion Adam Scott is among the six golfers sat on four under at the close of play, while Ian Poulter carded par after 15 holes.

Here is the leaderboard as things stand:

Pos	Player	To Par	Round One
1	Andrew Dodt	-7	65
T2	Ryan Fox	-5	67
T2	Julian Suri	-5	67
T2	Harold Varner III*	-5	-
T5	Adam Scott	-4	68
T5	Nick Cullen	-4	68
T5	Natipong Srithong	-4	68
T5	Todd Sinnott	-4	68
T5	Paul Waring	-4	68
T5	Geoff Drakeford	-4	68

*Completed just 14 holes.

Recap

Dodt completed his round with just one blemish—at the 14th hole—in an otherwise outstanding round.

The Australian started on the back nine and in a flurry of activity picked up shots at the 12th, 13th and 15th.

A perfect return saw him make further gains at the first, third and fifth holes—the latter being an incredible 45-foot putt—and he finished his round with back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth. The European Tour applauded his efforts:

Per the European Tour's official website, the home favourite said:

"

I wanted to hit the ground running for the 2017 season, hole one, shot one and I managed to do that today. I hit it really well, putted really well. It was just a really solid run.

...

My caddie and I said, probably maybe ten under at the start of the week, so it’s nice to be seven under after round one.

"

Behind him, Fox carded a perfect round, heading out in 33 and returning in 34:

A bogey on the third saw Suri get off to a less-than-ideal start, but back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth followed by four in the first five holes on the back nine ensured a strong finish.

Varner is yet to slip up. He picked up four shots in consecutive holes from the seventh through to the 10th and made another gain at the 13th.

Meanwhile, Jarrod Lyle is among the players on three under having completed 13 holes. The Australian had a mixed round—two bogeys and three birdies—but also produced the shot of the day:

Dodt has laid down a marker for his competition, but there is much golf still to be played—if Varner can continue where he left off, the Australian may not even have the lead by the time the second round begins.

Further, with the likes of Scott and potentially Poulter not too far behind—if the Englishman can finish the first round strongly in his final three holes—there may yet be plenty of change to the leaderboard heading into the weekend.