Popovic leads Australian PGA, with Strange and Ogilvy close behind

COOLUM, Australia -- Daniel Popovic shot an 8-under 64 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Australian PGA Championship on Thursday, revealing afterward that his father is battling incurable cancer.

Popovic, in his first year on the PGA Tour of AustralAsia, birdied his first four holes at the Palmer Coolum Resort, and later had a string of five straight birdies.

Fellow Australian Scott Strange shot 66 and was alone in second, followed by 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and OneAsia Tour regulars Zhang Xinjun of China and Singapore's Choo Tze-huang, who carded 67s.

Ogilvy, who won the 2006 U.S. Open, carded two eagles, at the par-5 fifth and par-5 12th.

"I felt like I got away with it a bit," said Ogilvy. "I mean, the two eagles I had were a really long putt from off the green and a chip in."

Popovic said his father, Radi, who gave him his start in the game, is battling a form of bone cancer.

''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,'' Popovic said. ''He doesn't have too much energy.

''Last week he came up to Sydney, but he just sort of saw my first tee shot and when I came through nine and that was it. But he will be in tears today.''

Popovic, who won the 2012 AustralAsian PGA Q-School, scorched the Palmer Coolum Resort layout in sunny but windy afternoon conditions. The 26-year-old birdied his first four holes and bounced back from his only bogey of the day at the par-5 15th with five straight birdies from the 17th hole.

Korean Han Min-kyu's course record of 62 looked under real threat, but Popovic parred his remaining six holes to finish at minus-8.

"That was some of the best golf that I've played in my life," Popovic said. "There were times there where I even surprised myself of how confident I was with the way that I was hitting it."

Veteran Peter Senior, who won last week's Australian Open, was in a group tied for sixth after a 68. Darren Clarke, the 2011 British Open champion, shot 70, including a 10-footer for par on 18.

Rory Sabatini of South Africa shot 76.

Greg Norman pulled out after two holes -- both bogeys -- due to food poisoning. Tournament officials said Norman was treated in his hotel room by a local doctor and was expected to make a full recovery.

Norman flew by helicopter with resort owner Clive Palmer to the Gold Coast for a private function later Thursday.

''Greg was trying to soldier through and clearly it wasn't possible ... he was quite ill,'' said PGA of Australia Chief Executive Brian Thorburn.

Popovic, who won last year's qualifying tournament to secure his card for 2012, looked set to break the course record of 62 when he was 8-under after 12 holes. But after eight birdies and a bogey, he shot par the rest of the way in, including a testing 4-footer on the last.

''It wasn't the best of conditions, but after last week at the Australian Open I got used to hitting a lot of wind shots,'' he said. ''I didn't really want to attack the flags, but after a while I talked to my caddie and we decided to start hitting straight at them.''

The 25-year-old Popovic said he only realized he was among the leaders early on his final nine.

''Through nine, I sort of thought I might be up there, then on the second (his 11th hole) I saw my name up there on the leaderboard. And I thought it might be time for a few more birdies. It didn't happen, but I'm not too disappointed.''

Strange has played on both the European and Asian tours recently, but failed in his qualifying attempt for Europe next year and his status in Asia also is not guaranteed.

''If I managed to roll putts in there, I would have had my European card back,'' he said. ''But that is the nature of the beast -- live by the sword, die by the sword.''

The Palmer-owned resort and the PGA of Australia were not able to come to an agreement to keep the event at the Sunshine Coast course, so it will move elsewhere next year in Queensland state.

Golfers this year were greeted by a giant tail-flipping, roaring replica of a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur between the ninth green and 10th tee, part of billionaire mining magnate Palmer's plans to turn the resort into a theme park.

''I'm astonished. I never thought I'd see a dinosaur on a golf course,'' Zhang said. ''During the practice round its eyes were moving and his tongue looked, well, almost real. It certainly makes the course look different.''