Struggling Smith’s 75 seals seventh straight missed cut

Cameron Smith has endured one other hometown horror present, the three-time Australian PGA champion fading badly to card a four-over 75 and miss a seventh straight reduce.

The native hope started his Friday spherical on the projected reduce line at two underneath and had early seems to be at birdies, however twice left his ball on the lip of the cup.

After dipping under the road with a bogey on the eleventh gap, a scrambling Smith watched par putts slide by on the thirteenth and 14th in depressing scenes at Royal Queensland Golf Membership.

He made an eight-footer for birdie on the seventeenth get together gap to supply a glimmer of hope, however then missed the 18th inexperienced and three-putted for a double-bogey to seal his destiny.

He completed two over and a distant cry from a clogged leaderboard headed by early clubhouse chief Brett Rankin, Kazuma Kobori, Wenyi Ding and Anthony Quayle, who all had no less than one gap to play, at 9 underneath.

Rankin, seven underneath by way of 18 holes, earned the clubhouse lead at 9 underneath regardless of a double-bogey on his penultimate gap.

He was later joined by 2023 champion Min Woo Lee, who made six birdies earlier than a bogey on the final put him one shot again.

Cameron Davis, Daniel Hillier, Marc Leishman and Marco Penge (seven underneath) are all inside placing distance on a crowded leaderboard, whereas Ryan Fox dropped three late photographs to sit down at 5 underneath.

Adam Scott (six underneath) is lurking because of an extended birdie putt on the seventeenth, defending champion Elvis Smylie (two underneath) rallied to make the reduce, however European drawcards Joaquín Niemann (even par) and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (5 over) each struggled.

Smith endured one in all his worst days as a professional to overlook the reduce at Royal Queensland in 2023, in tears after capturing a seven-over-par 78 on the Friday.

However he returned final 12 months to complete runner-up, then misplaced a play-off on the Saudi Worldwide quickly after.

That type abandoned him, the previous world No.2 and 2022 Open Championship winner the one participant to overlook the reduce in any respect 4 majors this 12 months.

He then fell brief at his subsequent two tournaments and can arrive in Melbourne for subsequent week’s Australian Open on a winless streak that is approaching two-and-a-half years.

Taking part in accomplice Lee, who broke by way of for his maiden US PGA Tour win this 12 months, was proof against the carnage as he often picked up photographs, and Davis confirmed no indicators of rust in his first match since an early PGA Tour exit in August.

Leishman roused earlier within the day, chipping in for eagle from the seventh bunker then taking driver from the green to arrange birdie in an exhilarating three-hole sequence to complete his spherical.

The 42-year-old former Greg Regular Medal winner has by no means gained a significant Australian title, however pledged to remain daring in his quest for one.

„We’re golfers and entertainers and I actually take pleasure in entertaining, whether or not it is a driver off the deck or a cool, spinning bunker shot,“ Leishman stated.

„Taking part in the best way you’d play at residence – not careless photographs, simply enjoyable photographs and taking over pins in numerous methods.

„I am battling the entire time and making an attempt to take it on … to get to numerous the pins that some folks cannot.“