Aussies ready to thrive at Augusta

A storm rolled through Augusta National on Monday – and the weather was rubbish too.

The full seven-man band of Australians, some in the form of their lives, have found their way to the hallowed golf turf ready to prove Adam Scott well and truly buried the Aussie hoodoo with victory at the Masters last year.

Jason Day, John Senden, Steven Bowditch and Matt Jones have already won PGA Tour events, but now they’re looking to take the dominance to the big stage.

And while the flood, and lightning, hit the course Monday sending players off and preventing a lot of practice, the Aussie boys are ready to rumble louder than the thunder.

“There’s something in the water right? It certainly seems that way. I guess when it rains it pours,” Day said of the recent Australian surge.

“Going back last year after Scotty won, it was very inspiring for a lot of Australian golfers that are on the tour to kind of kick their game up another level.

“Because if he can do it, I can do it as well, and I think a lot of the Australians are having that exact same mental approach to the tournaments that they are playing.”

Since Scott’s win, Day, whose Masters resume shows a third last year and tie for second in 2011, added another runner-up finish at the US Open and was inside the top 10 at the PGA Championship, making it six top ten finishes in 13 majors.

He then won the World Cup in Australia and saluted again in February by winning the prestigious World Golf Championships Match Play Championship.

The world No.4 can become No.1 with a victory at Augusta.

“I’m never going to quit until it’s over and I am hoping the other six Aussie blokes in this tournament are going to do the exact same,” Day said.

“And it’s about time because golf back home in Australia has been yearning for us to pick it up and really play well again.”

Marc Leishman, who held the first round lead at Augusta last year after a sublime 66 and finished fourth, believed it was possible the Australian success could be getting inside the head of other golfers.

“Guys might be looking at the Australians and thinking they’re on a roll,” Leishman said.

“Maybe (they’re asking), what are they doing different?”

Leishman also believes the Australian run of success can continue and bring a third win in a row, a fifth in nine events, and back-to-back green jackets.

“Maybe it (Scott’s win) frees us up a little bit. Especially with the way the boys are playing this year,” he said.

“Jonesy, Bowdo, Scotty almost at Bay Hill and Sendo, it’s a pretty good run and hopefully we can keep it going. We’ll definitely be giving it a red-hot crack.”

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