Thursday 27 November 2014 16:24, UK
Defending champion Rory McIlroy is two shots behind leader Jordan Spieth after the opening round of the Australian Open in Sydney.
World no 1 McIlroy carded a two-under 69 on day one at the Australian Golf Club while Spieth's four-under 67 was enough to give him a one stroke lead over Australian pair Aron Price and Scott Gardiner, who had a hole-in-one at the 11th.
But home hero Adam Scott has work to do after a three-over 74 left him seven behind.
McIlroy, who edged out Scott on the 72nd hole to win this tournament last year, was slightly off the pace on a cool and overcast morning in Sydney.
He was level par for his opening nine holes, where his birdie at the 14th was immediately given back at the next hole, but improved after the turn.
The 25-year-old birdied the first and picked up further shots at the fifth and ninth, in-between his second bogey of the day at the seventh.
"It took me a little while to get going," said McIlroy, who also admitted he was feeling jet lagged. "I gave myself a lot of chances early on in the round and didn't really take them.
"The conditions were pretty tricky. It was tough to get the ball close to the pins with the wind and these greens being quite firm as well.
"I thought anything under par today was a decent score and it was nice to birdie the last and shoot something in the 60s. It puts me right there going into tomorrow.
"Golf tournaments are long, all you want to do is give yourself a chance going into Sunday,
"I definitely feel like there's a better score out there."
Spieth, meanwhile, birdied the first and the fifth, before dropping a shot on the sixth. He picked up another birdie on the 10th before making three consecutive birdies from the 14th to the 16th, where it looked like he would extend his lead further. But it wasn't to be, as he bogeyed the par four 17th.
World no 3 Scott suffered a nightmare opening nine holes. After starting with a double bogey, he bogeyed three more holes to make the turn in five over 40.
He did recover slightly with two birdies on the back nine but will be looking for a low one from Friday's early tee-time.
"I made the worst of my worst shots and didn't convert the good ones early," Scott said.
"I have to play three really great days now and it seems that's what I'm doing week after week. But I'll claw my way back into it tomorrow morning."
