A blistering three iron to six-feet on the 18th hole and a resulting eagle at The Plantation Course has helped John Senden lead the Australian charge after the first round of the US PGA Tour Tournament of Champions.

Senden, 43, the second oldest player in the 34-man winners-only field, put together a five-under-par 68 to be tied eighth, three shots adrift of American Russell Henley.

“It was nice to come home like a train,” he said.

“I was going really well through 12 holes and then stalled a little but was able to get that one on the last to give me the number I thought I deserved.

“It’s good momentum heading into tomorrow, especially as I failed to start strong in the recent Australian tournaments, so this is nice.”

The Queenslander is in the field courtesy of a win in Tampa last year, his second US career win coming almost eight years after his first.

While there’s 14 20-somethings in a field with an average age of 31, evergreen Senden is hopeful he can more than match it with his younger counterparts over the next few seasons.

“I joked about having to get into the gym more to keep up with these guys but in reality the body feels good, I am swinging it well and I’m looking forward to what I can achieve over the next few seasons,” he said.

Henley fired a bogey-free eight-under 65 to be one clear of South Korean Sang-Moon Bae who carded an impressive six-under front nine to pave the way for a 66.

Five Americans – Scott Stallings, Robert Streb, Ben Martin, Patrick Reed and Jimmy Walker, share third at six-under.

Event debutants Matt Jones and Steven Bowditch started solidly with rounds of 69 to be tied 12th while world No.8 Jason Day was left to rue a 15th hole double bogey on the way to a 70 and a tie for 18th.

Bowditch had a nervous three-putt bogey early before chalking up four birdies and an eagle in a 13-hole stretch only to drop a shot with a bogey on the final hole.

Jones, fighting a virus, put together three birdies and a bogey on each side of the course.

Geoff Ogilvy, a two-time winner in the event, is one-under and in 30th place.