Adam Scott’s bid for the Australian PGA Championship title has resumed, after play was suspended due to dangerous weather conditions at the Royal Pines course on the Gold Coast.
Masters champion Scott (-10) is clinging to a one-shot lead after 11 holes in his final round with American star Rickie Fowler (-9) and Australian trainee pro Jack Wilson (-9) tied second.
Playing alongside Scott, Fowler has picked up two shots to narrow Scott’s three-stroke overnight lead.
Victorian Wilson has picked up four shots after 12 holes to be right in contention.
The 22-year-old, who claimed the West Australian PGA Championship title last month, birdied the second, fourth, sixth, and 12th holes to be right in the hunt for the Joe Kirkwood Cup.
Wilson was trying to emulate Daniel Popovic, who was a surprise four-shot victor in the tournament last year.
“You don’t come out here to finish second,” he told Network Ten.
“All of us are out here to win, that’s what I’ve come out to do.”
Fowler begun brightly with a birdie on the opening hole but bogeyed the par-5 third.
Another two birdies on the par-3 fifth and par-4 eighth put the Californian back within two of Scott.
After lipping birdie putts on the par-4 fourth and the fifth, Scott finally made a birdie on the eighth to keep Fowler at arm’s length.
But just as he did on the sixth, Scott’s drive on the ninth went right into trees.
Unlike the sixth, the Masters champion was unable to scramble a par and had to settle for a bogey to be even par at the turn.
Scott is aiming to become just the sixth man to win all three of Australia’s big traditional tournaments by adding the PGA Championship to his previous Australian Masters and Australian Open wins.
Jason Norris is the highest of the players to have completed their round, entering the clubhouse with a four-under 67 to finish at five-under 279 for the tournament.