Date: September 01, 2012
Author: Omnisport

Senden leads Aussie challenge at Deutsche Bank

Seung-Yul Noh leads the Deutsche Bank Championship thanks to a near-flawless nine-under-par opening round of 62 on Friday as John Senden heads the Australian challenge just four shots off the pace. Twenty-one-year-old Noh may be playing his rookie season on the PGA Tour and appearing in the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time. But the South Korean&aposs inexperience did him no harm at the Tournament Players Club, Boston, where a bogey-free 62 left him a shot clear at the top of the leaderboard. Noh made five birdies on the front nine, including four in succession between four and seven. Four more birdies followed on the way in, including a strong finish of successive birdies at 17 and 18. Senden, meanwhile, posted a five-under 66 to be tied eighth alongside South African Louis Oosthuizen. Senden&aposs fellow Australians Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day both hold a share of 17th at three under, with Adam Scott and Greg Chalmers a stroke further back in tied 27th. Scott looked set for a big first round after producing an eagle on the second hole and following that up with a birdie on the fourth. But from then on, Scott managed just another birdie to go with two bogeys as he struggled with his putter. Geoff Ogivly and Marc Leishman struggled on day one, carding respective one-over-par rounds of 72. Starting on the back nine, Ogilvy&aposs round went astray early on as he posted a triple bogey on the 14th, although he recovered somewhat with two birdies on his front nine. There were no such problems, though, for American Chris Kirk, who is second after an eight-under 63. Both Kirk and leader Noh are likely to have the spotlight stolen by world number three Tiger Woods, who posted a seven-under 64 to hold a share of third place. Woods is two shots back from Noh, tied for third with fellow Americans Jeff Overton and Ryan Moore. World number one Rory McIlroy also started strongly, with a six-under 65 leaving him tied for sixth alongside American Bryce Molder. Nick Watney won the first FedEx Cup event, The Barclays, but he could only manage a one-over 72 to be tied 74th on Friday. Watney leads the FedEx Cup standings ahead of Brandt Snedeker, Woods and McIlroy. Click for LIVE SCORES