MELBOURNE, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Robert Allenby Thursday shot 5-under-par 67 and has a one-stroke lead after the first round of the European Tour's MasterCard Masters Golf Tournament.
Allenby started on the back nine with birdies on four of his first five holes, including three straight to begin the round.
His lone bogey came at the par-four 17th.
"Obviously it's fair to say I probably left five or six shots out there today," he said. "I got away to a good start, birdied the first three holes, but I kind of lost the feel of the speed of the greens."
The event is being played in his native Melbourne, where he has won it twice.
Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden and England's Peter Baker both shot 4-under 68, good for second place.
Four more Australians -- Stuart Appleby, Kurt Barnes, Paul Marantz and Rod Pampling -- dominated a six-way tie for fourth place at 3-under 69 to join Daniel Chopra of Sweden and New Zealand's Michael Long.
