Duke and Nitties lead Byron Nelson

Golf Betting Lines

05/21/2009 - Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ken Duke and James Nitties both shot rounds of five-under 65 on Thursday to share the opening-round lead of the Byron Nelson Championship.

Former Masters champion Mike Weir, Brad Adamonis, Scott McCarron and Charles Howell III are knotted in third place at minus-four at the TPC-Four Seasons Resort.

Duke broke into red figures for the first time with a 15-foot birdie putt at the fourth. He misclubbed on the very next hole and knocked his shot over the green en route to a bogey.

It was a run around the turn that jumped Duke up the leaderboard. At the ninth, Duke hit a nine-iron to 15 feet and sank the birdie putt. He birdied the 10th and knocked his approach close at 11 to polish off his third birdie in a row and reach three-under for the championship.

Duke hit another iron close at the par-three 13th and tapped in for birdie. At the par-five 16th, Duke got up and down for birdie and took the lead at five- under par. He made a pair of pars at the last two for his share of first.

"It was good. I was very consistent with my putting today, and that's been kind of holding me back," acknowledged Duke. "I haven't been making those 10- and 12- and 15-foot putts. I felt really good today with the putter, and it's good to see a few go in early, and it helps your confidence. You just go from there. "

Duke has struggled thus far in 2009. He has teed it up in 13 events so far this season, but has made only six cuts and his best finish was a tie for 26th at the Heritage.

"I think sometimes you try too hard when you're out here, especially if you have a few good years," said Duke. "You really try hard, and you think you should do better than what you're doing, and then you press the issues and don't just let it come to you. I guess that's kind of what I've done."

Nitties drove into the water at the fourth hole and walked off with a bogey. He made the stroke up at the very next, the par-three fifth, when he hit his tee ball close.

Nitties, an Australian, birdied the par-five seventh. From there, it was all pars through the turn and deep into the back nine.

"I was sort of one-under all day and just cruising," said Nitties. "Looking at the scores, they weren't that good, so it didn't put any pressure on me to do anything crazy, so I just went about my business and struck it pretty solid all the way through the middle of the round."

At the par-four 15th, Nitties played his approach to four feet and made the putt to finally reach two-under par. He sank a six-footer for birdie at 16 and suddenly found his name higher on the leaderboard.

It went all the way to the top soon enough.

Nitties ran home a 10-foot birdie putt at 17 and polished off his round and a fourth consecutive birdie from tap-in range at the last to grab his share of the lead.

"A couple good putts at the last couple holes, and there you go, I'm five- under, so I was pretty happy," said Nitties, who has yet to win on tour, but posted a pair of top-six finishes earlier this year. "When I get used to it, I think I'll be an established guy on the PGA Tour, but not yet."

Last week's playoff loser at the Texas Open, James Driscoll, Chris DiMarco, John Mallinger, Kent Jones, Aaron Watkins, Colt Knost, Jesper Parnevik, Tommy Armour III, Robert Allenby, Kevin Streelman, Matt Weibring and Spencer Levin share seventh at three-under 67.

Defending champion Adam Scott, who hasn't made a cut in his last five starts, only managed a one-over 71 and is part of a group tied for 74th place.