2006 Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship - Day 1

James Nitties, runner up to Peter Lonard here in 2004, shot his best first round score; a 64. Afterwards he talked about how the last time he played here Bob Estes constantly made disparaging remarks about Nitties’s state of mind, and tried to rile him on the course with comments about rulings.

Could this now serve to give Nitties a harder edge over the remaining three days? Time will tell.

One of the crowd favourites would have to be Jarrod Lyle, who came back from Leukemia last year and nearly won the Jacob’s Creek Open. He carded a 66, along with Mr. Consistent Nick O’Hern. Surely O’Hern has to win something soon.

Marc Leishman, back from his failed attempt to get a card onto the PGA Tour for 2007 signed for a handy 66 as well.
Perhaps Adam Scott shouldn’t have taken the week off as he shot a fairly uninspiring 72. He just did not look that comfortable out there today.

Defending champion Robert Allenby recovered from two-over-par midway through his round to sink four straight birdies and finish on two-under.

Allenby, in a group with world number four Adam Scott, and 2004 champion Peter Lonard (68) bogeyed eight, double-bogeyed 10 and almost found the water on 13 before establishing a late fight back.