South Korea’s Sung-yeol Kwon has made a hot start to be the early leader in the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast.

He has made five birdies through 12 holes to be five-under-par in perfect conditions at Royal Pines on Thursday.

Canada’s Ryan Yip is alone in second on four-under after eight holes.

A quartet of Australians sit a further shot back in a tie for third, including US PGA Tour player Marc Leishman.

Leishman, playing in the same group as American star Rickie Fowler, has three birdies in his opening nine holes in a bright start to his Australian summer.

Joining him are Tasmanian pair Craig Hancock and Clint Rice, Queensland’s Matthew Ballard and South Australia’s Jason Norris.

Fowler, the world No.43, made birdies at the par 5 15th and par 4 17th to sit two-under through eight holes.

World No.2 Adam Scott, the hometown favourite, is set to tee off at 12.20pm local time (1320AEDT).

Scott will play his first round alongside young Korean Jin Jeong, who won the recent Perth International, and veteran Victorian Richard Green.