SYDNEY: Australian John Senden enjoyed calm morning conditions to fire a six-under-par 66 for a two-shot lead over world number four Justin Rose after the opening round of the Australian Open at The Lakes yesterday.
Senden, fresh from his finest season on the US PGA Tour where he had five top-10 finishes, collected eight birdies in his round.
The 41-year-old, an Australian Open winner six years ago at Royal Sydney, led the field from Rose and four others -- New Zealand’s Gareth Paddison and Australians Brendan Jones, Kim Felton and Richard Green -- who were all on four-under 68.
“I am playing some of the best golf of my life. I need to believe in that and keep going forward,” Senden said.
Teeing off early, Senden took advantage of the perfect scoring conditions to make the turn at five-under. And despite two bogeys in the middle of his round he recovered to finish with two birdies.
“We had perfect conditions this morning, teeing off at seven o’clock. You won’t get much of a better day,” he said.
Rose also made a hot start, picking up three birdies in the first four holes on the way to a front-nine 32.
The world No.4 dropped his only shot of the day when he fluffed a greenside flop shot on the par-4 third.
Using his broomstick putter after experimenting with a shorter blade in the lead-up, pre-tournament favourite Adam Scott squeezed out a par 72, while Greg Chalmers hit a one-under 71.
AFP
