Travel-weary PGA Tour of Australasia stars Ryan Peake and Declan O’Donovan fought hard to stay in contention on a weather-marred opening day of the WA PGA Championship after marathon trips just to play in the event.

Peake and O’Donovan, who was the best of the large Australian contingent at the Alfred Dunhill event in Scotland last week, were given a reprieve when a storm lashed Kalgoorlie late on Thursday.

It meant the pair were able to head home for some much needed rest after flying from the other side of the world to feature in the second tournament of the local season.

O’Donovan returned to the clubhouse on even par after the first 12 holes, while former New Zealand Open champion Peake (+1) battled back from a horror start – he was four over through nine holes – to sign for an eagle-birdie before rain forced players from the course.

Tournament organisers ensured the pair had afternoon tee times on the opening day to help combat jetlag.

Another player who featured on the DP World Tour last week, Matias Sanchez, was also shaking off the cobwebs while labouring to three-over after 12 holes.

Play will resume early on Friday with a host of players in the Thursday afternoon wave yet to finish their first rounds, with Victorian Ben Eccles (-5) setting the pace after a tidy 67 which featured six birdies.

“It’s a golf course that I just feel really comfortable on,” Eccles said. “I got to play with a good mate of mine, which was really handy as well. So, I got off to a nice start and just kind of rode that out.

“And with the break (before the new season), I just feel quite good mentally. So, I feel quite fresh and it’s a great place to start.”

Daniel Gale, Jordan Doull and Corey Lamb were all a shot further back after 68s, with Jordan Warren and former world No.1 amateur Curtis Luck the best of the players yet to finish their opening rounds at three-under.

But the story of the day might have been little-known American Austin Gean, who brought his new wife to Australia to play his first tournament Down Under after securing his status through qualifying school in the United States.

Gean recovered from a rough start to pour in four birdies on the back nine in a three-under 69.

Asked what a whirlwind it has been after getting married, Gean said: “It’s been pretty crazy. Honestly, it’s kind of felt like a dream, like a little bit of a haze because we get married, celebrate with our family and friends, and then it’s like, ‘see you later. We’ll see you in six months’.

“And then we went over to Rottnest Island, had our honeymoon there. It was lovely. I played golf actually one day, but kind of took maybe eight days off of golf and was able to just take a break from it before we wrap up things here. And it’s been great.

“Australian golf’s a little bit different. In America, if you have 120 yards, you just play at 120. Here it’s like, ‘OK, if you got 120, you need to probably land at 114, allow for the bounce out’.

“And then there on the back nine, I kind of got more comfortable.”