FP – Australian golfer Marc Leishman has carded two eagles in an opening round of five-under 65 to be tied for second after the opening round of the Byron Nelson Championship on the US tour.

Leishman and German Alex Cejka are one shot adrift of American Ryan Palmer, who carded a bogey-free 64.

Palmer lost last year’s Nelson title in a playoff to countryman Keegan Bradley.

Leishman had back-to-back birdies at the par-five seventh and par-four eighth but closed the front nine with his lone bogey of the day.

His big jump up the leaderboard came with “awesome” eagles at the par-four 11th and par-five 16th.

“On 11, I was trying to drive it up toward the right bunker, pulled it a little bit, right in front of the green about 10-foot off the edge, easy chip, (30-feet) down grain,” Leishman said.

“On 16, I think about 245 (yards), hit a two-iron to about eight feet, easy putt, straight up, rolled that in and it was a good day.”

Leishman has not cracked the top 15 in 11 US PGA starts this season, his best result a share of 17th at Riveria in February.

“I drove the ball a lot better than I have been. I think I only missed two or three fairways,” he said.

“I haven’t been hitting a lot of fairways this year so far. I drove it well and holed the par putts that kept the round going.

“I have actually felt like it’s been there for about four or six weeks.

“It has been really close and I feel like I’ve been playing all right, just not getting a whole lot out of my game. I feel like I’m doing the right things.”

Palmer said it was great to be in contention again at the tournament he went so close to winning last year.

“Continuation from last year, that’s what’s cool about the whole thing. I knew everything was going in the right direction. It was a matter of putting it all together at once.”

Matt Kuchar, last week’s Players Championship winner, was among seven players sharing fourth on 66, two off the pace.

Nathan Green and Jason Day were the best of the other Australians, both carding opening rounds of two-under 68.

Day claimed his maiden US tour victory at this event in 2010.

Mathew Goggin was a shot further back with a 69, ahead of Greg Chalmers and Nick O’Hern (both 70), Gavin Coles and Rod Pampling (both 71) and Matt Jones and Bryden Macpherson (both 72).

Adam Scott signed for a disappointing three-over 73.

Scott won this tournament in 2008 and tied for third in 2006.