South Africa rookie Lombard leads Australian PGA

GOLD COAST, Australia: South African rookie Zander Lombard held a two-shot lead over England’s Mark Foster after the opening round of the European Tour co-sanctioned Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
Lombard fired five birdies in an unblemished five-under 67 to lead Foster at the Royal Pines resort.
Only four other golfers finished their rounds in the red as players encountered buffeting winds and morning rain.
Seven-time US PGA Tour winner Brandt Snedeker crashed to a nightmare opening round of 12-over 84, which left him 17 strokes adrift of the lead and facing a huge battle to make Friday’s cut.
Snedeker finished with eight bogeys, a double and a triple. “I wish I could put a spin on it,” said Snedeker, the highest-ranked player in the field.
“The conditions were tough and when you’re not firing on all cylinders and the wind is blowing the way it did out here, your mistakes are going to be exacerbated — mine were.”