Buzzin Golf

Tiger Woods

All eyes were on world number one Tiger Woods in the Australian Masters in Melbourne, playing in Australia for the first time in eleven years and his first competitive round on Kingston Heath’s sandbelt course.

Woods did pretty much everything right in his first round, hitting a six under par 66 and sharing the end of day lead with 21 year old South African Branden Grace and Australian James Nitties.

A lively 21,000 crowd watched the number one player who putted for birdies on every hole except the last when he pulled his drive into a tea tree, chopped into the rough and took two putts for his only bogey.

The young South African Branden Grace had only entered the tournament in a last ditch attempt to save his card on the European Tour, where he currently occupies 149th place. His best finish on the European Tour this season is a sixth in the South African Open last December.

Grace looked on course to head the leaderboard outright at seven under, but a late dropped shot left him to share the lead on 66. He said after the round:

“I played really solidly today and just really enjoyed it out there. My caddy kept me really calm out there which was a huge help.”

James Nitties who has enjoyed a fruitful debut season on the US PGA Tour, hit a bogey free first round, recording an excellent eagle  on the 516metre par four 15th hole.