Voke and Kelly lead QLD PGA
Nick Voke – file photo
New Zealand’s Nick Voke and Victorian Andrew Kelly share the halfway lead at the Queensland PGA Championship at the Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane, the pair at 9 under and one shot ahead of Queensland’s Mitchell Varley.
Voke has spent much of this year on the Asian Tour after two seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour although with little to show for his efforts to date. He is, however, a multiple winner in China in earlier years and did produce his best finish in Asia this year when 11th at the recent Macao Open won by Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
Voke only just made the field for this week as even earlier in the week his chance of a start was in doubt until he gained entry to the field via an alternate spot.
A former Iowa State attendee during a collegiate golfing career, the 29-year-old Aucklander was out at 6.30 on day two and took advantage of the benign conditions to reel off a second round of 62, a course record, which included a homeward nine of 30.
Voke’s co leader, Andrew Kelly missed the cut in last week’s event in South Australia but after an opening 69 yesterday he moved to the top of the leaderboard with a round of 66 today.
36-year-old Kelly, a professional for 13 years, has had a tough year to date on the PGA Tour of Australasia missing nine of 14 cuts, although a recent 3rd place in Darwin suggests he might have found something.
Neither player has won on the PGA Tour of Australasia to date and this weekend offers a great opportunity.
