Inspired Aussies blast Warwick Hills in Round 1

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Clockwise from top left: Marc Leishman, Rod Pampling, Mark Hensby, John Senden, Nick O'Hern, James Nitties, Matt Jones and Greg Chalmers

Jul. 30, 2009
By Vartan Kupelian, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

GRAND BLANC, Mich. -- There's always room for a little extra inspiration for a professional golfer.

For James Nitties, Monday's victory by "good mate" Nathan Green at the RBC Canadian Open wasn't a surprise.

"It was always going to happen," Nitties said Thursday morning after shooting a first-round 65 at the Buick Open. "We're from the same town of Newcastle, Australia, and when I was 15-, 16 years old, I always looked up to him. He was always the gun."

Photos: Thursday action Photos

Nitties isn't the only Aussie motivated by Green's victory. The morning draw at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club was dominated by the Aussies.

John Senden, who is from Brisbane, put together an 8-under 64 and was one shot behind the early leader, Steve Lowery. Starting on the 10th tee, Lowery shot 29 on the back with seven birdies.

Nitties, from Melbourne, checked in with the round of 7 under while lefthander Greg Chalmers (Sydney) is at 66 and Marc Leishman (Melbourne) opened with 67.

That's not all. Veterans Nick O'Hern (Perth) and Mark Hensby (Sydney) both shot 68. The count was seven Aussies tied for 14th or better in the morning draw. Green, the newly-minted champion in Canada, played in the afternoon.

"Nathan winning last week, that's a big plus for us," Leishman said. "You know, we've spent some time together, so it's awesome to see him win. Really happy for him. Just shows that the Aussies can do it."

Senden's round actually didn't start well. He made bogey at the par-5 opening hole when birdie is the norm there.

"Six on the first was awesome so I'm thinking, 'This is nice,'" Senden said wryly. "But (I) bounced back nice."

Senden holed a 16-foot putt for birdie at the second and turned at 3-under 33. He ran off five straight birdies beginning at the 11th hole.

"I'm feeling good about my game," Senden said. "My middle stretch there through Bay Hill, Colonial, Byron Nelson and Memphis was really good. And the last couple of weeks haven't been quite as good, but that's just a scoring feeling.

"The putter hasn't been that great ... but (I'm) happy with my year. Just need to set the goals now to try and play well leading into the (PGA TOUR) Playoffs (for the FedExCup)."

Senden tied for fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, finished seventh at the HP Byron Nelson Classic, tied for 18th at Colonial and tied for fourth at the St. Jude Classic. Senden's only PGA TOUR victory came at the 2006 John Deere Classic.

Senden said Green's victory was "sensational. I thought that he hadn't been playing great and then he really just sort of turned it on.

"That was great for Australia, for Australian golf."

The Buick Open marks Nitties' return to the PGA TOUR after a three-week layoff following an injury he suffered at AT&T National. He branded his 65 a "little surprising," as a result.

"I've literally done absolutely nothing for three weeks," the rookie said. "I haven't hit any golf shots. So my goal was just to come out and maybe finish top 30, top 20, and sort of feel things out and try to get something going.

"I played great. I've slowed my swing down because I've been tentative because of the injury, and I hit it really well. I had a lot of good birdie opportunities."

Nitties described the injury as a bulging disk in his neck, then added, "it's not as bad as it sounds." He played pain-free Thursday but admitted to stiffness in his neck.

"I think it's just muscular," Nitties said. "If you don't move your neck sideways for three weeks, you're obviously going to get stiff. It didn't affect my golf swing."

Nitties' approach always has been to set modest goals and reassess as the situation warrants. His best finish on the PGA TOUR was a tie for fourth earlier this year at the FBR Open.

"I give myself realistic goals, and it doesn't give you too much of bad thoughts if you don't make your goals straightaway," he said. "So I give myself slow goals this week."

Nitties and Chalmers played together on TOUR for the first time Thursday.

"It was fun," Nitties said. "He was another guy I sort of looked up to growing up and learned a lot from him out there today. He's been a bit of a veteran out here on TOUR. It's been good, positive stuff coming out of Australia."