An emotional Daniel Popovic fired a sizzling eight-under-par 64 to grab a two-shot opening round lead at the Australian PGA Championship on Thursday after Greg Norman withdrew due to a bout of food poisoning.
Popovic, who won the 2012 Australasian PGA qualifying school, flirted with the course record of 62 at the Palmer Coolum Resort in southern Queensland before settling two shots ahead of compatriot and clubhouse leader Scott Strange.
Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, China's Zhang Xin Jun and Singapore's Choo Tze-huang were further one shot behind at tied third.
Popovic – who played the back nine first – birdied his first four holes and went on to sink five consecutive birdies in the round of his life before revealing his father's battle against cancer.
“It really shook me around a lot. It still sort of does when I think about it,” the 26-year-old said.
“But I find a lot of strength in him; how he's fighting that and how he really wants me to push forward with my golf and find happiness through him.
“It is a slow growing cancer but you are unsure of when the actual day will come.
“But he is a strong man and a very stubborn man and I think he'll be here for a little while longer.”
Defending champion Greg Chalmers began his title defence with an even-par 72 while Northern Irishman Darren Clarke, the former Open Championship winner, carded a two-under-par 70 in the $1.3 m OneAsia co-sanctioned tournament.
