Sizzling O'Hern takes charge with birdie blitz in Arizona
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Australian Nick O'Hern covered the last nine holes in a blistering seven-under-par 28 to charge one shot clear in Thursday's first round of the Arizona Open in Scottsdale.
Best known for twice beating Tiger Woods at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, left-hander O'Hern reeled off eight birdies and a lone bogey after the turn to card a sizzling seven-under 63.
With his approach play and putting in red-hot form, he made the most of ideal scoring conditions at Grayhawk Golf Club to end a sunny day in the Arizona desert in control of the tournament.
"Nothing was really happening," O'Hern told reporters. "I was hitting the ball pretty good but just not making anything.
"Then I just got on a roll. I birdied 10 and 11 with short birdie putts, holed a 60-footer on 12 and things just kind of went from there."
Americans Heath Slocum and Bob Heintz opened with 64s on the Raptor Course while South African Rory Sabbatini, Briton Greg Owen and DA Points and Ricky Fowler of the U.S. returned 65s.
Canadian left-hander Mike Weir, the 2007 champion, and American major winner Justin Leonard were among a large group on 66 but O'Hern's barn-storming finish was the highlight of the day.
CAUGHT FIRE
After offsetting a birdie at the second with a bogey at the sixth to reach the turn in level-par 35, the straight-hitting Australian caught fire on the back nine.
He birdied the next six holes before his tee shot at the 16th ended up in water, resulting in a bogey four.
However, he immediately recovered by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th before knocking in a four-footer at the last.
"The putter felt really good today, which it hasn't been in quite a while," said O'Hern, who is bidding for his PGA Tour victory since joining the circuit in 2005.
"On the back nine, I one-putted every green which is pretty scary. I've never done that before. I was pretty happy."
The biggest victory of O'Hern's career came at the 2006 Australian PGA Championship but he is best known by golf fans as the 'Tiger Slayer' for his defeats of the world number one at the Match Play Championship in 2005 and again in 2007.
"I never get sick of it (the nickname)," O'Hern said with a laugh.
"A lot of people don't know my name but say: 'Hey, that's the guy that beat Tiger twice.' It's really nice."
(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
