PERTH, Australia, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Defending champion Adam Scott is a co-leader with Kevin Stadler after the first round Thursday of the Johnnie Walker Golf Classic at Perth, Australia.
Both players shot 8-under-par 64 over the opening 18 holes.
K.J. Choi is alone in third place at 7-under-par 65.
Richard Green shot 6-under 66 and is joined by Tony Carolan and Jean Van de Velde in a tie for fourth.
Scott played a choppy round, opening with birdie-bogey-birdie on the first three holes, then made eagle at No. 6. A bogey at 14 and par at 18 kept him from taking the lead outright.
Stadler made a bogey at 17, which cost him the lead by himself.
Nick O'Hern, Ewan Porter, Brett Rumford, Marcus Fraser, and Paul Casey and four others share seventh place at 5-under 67.
Other scores included Robert Allenby (69), Colin Montgomerie (70), Fred Couples (71), Michael Campbell (72) and Retief Goosen (72).
