BRISBANE, Australia - The Australian PGA championship, one of the oldest professional events of the country's major golf tournaments, kicked off on Thursday at the Royal Pines course on the Gold Coast in Queensland, local media reported.

US star Rickie Fowler has shot a blistering 8-under-par 63 to seize the clubhouse lead in the Australian PGA Championship opening round, local media said.

Fowler told reporters that it was a good solid start.

"I stayed patient and got a few things to go...it was a good day," Fowler said.

"I'll take 8-under every day and walk away with the trophy but there's still a lot to figure out."

There is a host of players nipping at Fowler's heels after a birdie blitz on the first morning with 26 players under par.

Australian Matthew Ballard is 6-under, Nathan Green from Australia's New South Wales, is 5-under while Victorian Jason Norris is on 4-under with South Korea's Kwon Sung-yeoi and Canadian Ryan Yip.