AUSTRALIA’S Nathan Green fired a bogey-free six-under 64 to be just two strokes behind the leaders after the first round of the 2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational in Texas.
After just a single birdie on the front nine, Green came to life after the turn with four birdies in six holes and another on the last to storm up the leaderboard of the US PGA Tour event at the Colonial Country Club.
The joint leaders are Americans David Toms and Chez Reavie on 8-under.
Toms shrugged off his sudden-death playoff loss to by KJ Choi at The Players Championship on Sunday to card a bogey-free round that included eight birdies.
Australians Rod Pampling and John Senden also made good starts tied for 9th after posting 65s, while Adam Scott and Marc Leishman are a further stroke back.
In second place is young American Rickie Fowler who would have taken the outright lead at nine-under, but a double-bogey on his final hole of the day – the ninth – ensured he finished one off the pace.
Jason Day, for the first time this week into the World top 20 rankings and playing on what is now his home course, had a putting shocker on the 12th and needed a birdie on the 18th to limit the damage to 1-over for the round.
No-one in his afternoon session challenged the morning leaders and Day will be hoping for a better score in the second round.
The event is being broadcast in Australia on Fox Sports.
