Pike earns Australian PGA clubhouse lead

Dylan Perry was in the clubhouse a shot back while Brad Kennedy finished four-under.

Tournament drawcard and new world No.49 Min Woo Lee opened with a three-under 68.

Louis Dobbelaar was four-under through eight holes, confirming the consensus among players that a low score was possible in relatively mild conditions.

Pike knows better than most the tricky course can bite though, with some clutch par-saving putts limiting the damage to just one bogey in his opening round.

"If you put it in the wrong spot, it'll just bite you," he said.

"Being a Brisbane boy, I'm pretty fortunate to get to play out here a bit and in terms of golf courses this is one that really does suit my game. 

"It does bode well for me, but you've also got to do it."

The tournament was cancelled in 2020 and then the 2021 version moved to January, ruling out the attendance of any US-based stars.

It's made for a wide-open field that Pike said must be embraced.  

"You want to be winning these, you want to be at the top of the tree and you want the camera on you, you want the interviews, you want all these kind of things," he said. 

"Being comfortable (with) being uncomfortable is something that I've had to get over and learn to do."

Used to the bright lights after a breakout Scottish Open win propelled him into the top-50 and earned a Masters berth later this year, Lee was pleased with how he began his season.

"A little scrappy on a couple of holes, but expected," said Lee, who thinks 15-under could be enough to win the title.

"Definitely if you do all the right things and hit good shots there's a lot of birdies out there."