Leishman after Augusta at Aussie PGA

Marc Leishman will be looking to wrap up a spot at golf's US Masters at Augusta at this weekend's Australian PGA Championship.

Marc Leishman is eyeing off a top-five finish at this week's Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast as he attempts to wrap up qualification for April's US Masters at Augusta.

Leishman is ranked No.54 in the world and the top 50 golfers at the end of December automatically qualify for the event, leaving the Australian with a little work to do.

"To get back into the top-50 in the world rankings, to get into the Masters and the majors is a high priority for me," Leishman said.

"People always talk about how wins take care of everything, and they'll certainly take care of that.

"It will be nice to end the year on a high note knowing that I'm in the majors next year and win the Australian PGA."

The 33-year-old and Adam Scott finished an underwhelming tied for ninth for Australia at last week's World Cup of Golf in Melbourne.

However, he said there were parts of his game he was happy with.

"My good stuff was good," he said.

"I think I hit probably a few too many loose shots. But like (Adam Scott) said last week, it's only one good round away and I feel like I'm very close to having a very good week."

Leishman missed last year's Australian PGA as he opted to play in a South African tournament, which he won, and therefore hasn't played on the back-nine at Royal Pines since it was revamped.

He said he expected to take a conservative approach over the opening days of the tournament, which starts on Thursday.

"It's important to hit fairways and hit good shots. If you're just a little bit off you'll get punished," he said.

A win come Sunday afternoon would also be his first major victory in Australia - his previous professional victory in Australia was the Victorian PGA in 2008.

"It would be huge," he said of winning again.

"I remember watching the Australian PGA in Victoria - I went down there with my Dad and watched it.

"To win would be a massive accomplishment. It's going to be very difficult, a lot of good players. It would mean a lot to me, especially with my family here."


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Source: AAP



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