Australian PGA Championship First-Round Leader Tips: Dave Tindall's three to back up to 100/1

• 60/161.00 Anthony Quayle has FRL, current and course form

• 100/1101.00 Connor McKinney flew through Q-School

• 70/171.00 Cameron John won last week and has some low rounds here

Weather forecast for Thursday

Temperatures could climb into three figures around lunchtime on day one so perhaps that gives an edge to the Aussie locals.

The wind picks up too as the day goes on. It's only around 5mph to begin with but could rise to 15mph in mid-afternoon.

Overall, those in the morning wave seem to have the more pleasant conditions. 

FRL Bet 1: Anthony Quayle @ 60/161.00

Anthony Quayle has been in good nick on his home Australian soil in the last couple of months, reeling off four straight top 10 finishes.

UK viewers also got a glimpse of him at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and although the Aussie missed the cut, he opened brightly enough with a 68.

In last week's Queensland PGA Championship, Quayle set out with a 66 to lie second after 18 holes while he was ninth following the opening lap of last month's Western Australian Open.

Quayle, who secured his DP World Tour card for 2026 via the Aussie Order of Merit, has some good history here at Royal Queensland.

He's teed it up in the Australian PGA Championship four times and has finishes of third last year and sixth in 2022. 

Quayle, who was fourth after round one here three years ago, is worth a punt at 60/161.00 from his 06:20 tee-time.

FRL Bet 2: Connor McKinney @ 100/1101.00

Connor McKinney was born in Scotland but moved to Perth (the Western Australia one) as a youngster and that background is reflected in a stellar amateur career.

He won the St Andrews Links Trophy and also captured the Australian Amateur before turning pro in 2022.

The 23-year-old returned to Scotland in August and won the Tartan Tour's Musselburgh Masters (his first win as a pro) while earlier this month McKinney achieved the rare feat of coming through all three stages of Q-School, securing his card with a superb tied second place finish.

In this event he's made the cut twice and two years ago McKinney was fourth after an opening lap of 66.

Last time out in Australia he was 12th following day one of the Western Australian Open so there's enough there to throw a dart on the 06:10 starter at a three-figure price.

FRL Bet 3: Cameron John @ 70/171.00

Perhaps the star names such as Joaquin Niemann, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cam Smith and Marco Penge will dominate from the start.

But for 18 holes it's much more wide open so I'll try another local down the betting and play Cameron John at 70s.

John won last week's Queensland PGA so is in flying form after recording finishes of 17-7-2 prior to that.

He ended day one in the top three in two of those events while he showed his ability to go low when firing a stunning 62 at Kingsbarns in the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

John has performed pretty well in this event before, finishing ninth, 22nd and 28th in three of the four editions and twice shooting a pre-cut 65.

He begins his bid at 06:20.

*You can follow me on Twitter @DaveTindallgolf

Now read Steve Rawlings' preview of the Australian PGA Championship