Portrush golfer Graeme McDowell and his team-mate Corey Conners are just one shot off the lead after day one of the QBE Shootout in Florida.
The all-Australian team of Marc Leishman and Jason Day hold a one-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard on 16-under par, with McDowell and Conners one stroke back.
The unofficial PGA Tour event, hosted by former world number one and two-time major winner Greg Norman, sees two-player teams play a scramble format in the opening round where both players tee off, select the best shot and then each play from that spot, following that format until the hole is complete.
McDowell and Conners set the early pace, with an eagle at the par-five 17th one of the highlights of their 15-under par round of 57.
However, it was only good enough for tied-second place on Friday as Leishman and Day posted a round of 56 - coming up just one shot shy of the all-time QBE Shootout record of 55 set by Ryan Palmer and Harold Varner III in 2019.
It was a run on five holes around the turn that catapulted the Australians up the leaderboard. An eagle at the par-five sixth and three straight birdies was then followed by another eagle on the 10th hole.
Leishman and Day finished their round by making six straight birdies from the 13th down the back nine.
The partnership of Matt Kuchar and Harris English shared second spot with McDowell and Conners, with Kevin Na and Jason Kokrak and Bubba Watson and Lexi Thompson each a further two shots back.
