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Poulter in touch at Byron Nelson Champs

25/04/2008

England's Ian Poulter is just one shot off the leaders after the first round of the Byron Nelson Championships in Irving, Texas.

Poulter carded one bogey and three birdies in his round of 68, putting him in a group of eight players on two under par.

The leading group of three players - Australia's Mathew Goggin and American pair Ryan Moore and Eric Axley - are on three under par but all had to endure rollercoaster rounds of golf before topping the leaderboard.

Goggin had the most consistent day of the top three, carding five birdies - including three in a row at the fifth, sixth and seventh holes - and two bogeys.

Axley had to endure a slightly more up-and-down day with three bogeys and six birdies, although his confidence will also have been boosted by a run of four consecutive birdies between the fourth and seventh holes.

Out of the three men, however, Moore's round was the most eye-catching – with as many birdies as pars around the TPC Four Seasons resort course.

After a par four at his first hole of the day – the tenth – he shot a bogey five at the 11th; three straight birdies at the 12th, 13th and 14th; another bogey at the 15th and a birdie four at the par-five 16th.

His inward nine was more steady, but he still carded two bogeys at the third and sixth holes and three more birdies at the first, seventh and ninth.

Elsewhere, Sweden's Jesper Parnevik and Australia's Adam Scott are two other big names still in the hunt on two under par after the first round.

However, England's Luke Donald endured a difficult day as he slumped to two over par, thanks mainly to a double-bogey six at the 14th.