Geoff Ogilvy could enjoy overnight bragging rights after finishing a stroke clear of fellow Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day after the first round of the Tampa Bay Championship.

The ‘Down Under’ duo are drawn together for the opening two rounds of the $5.5m event being staged on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook on the Florida Gulf of Mexico shoreline.

Both Ogilvy and Day had respective birdie putts of 22 feet and 16 feet at the last while Scott’s second shot was just short and left of the green from where he chipped and putted for par.

Geoff Ogilvy on bottom of walking scoreboard but he came out on top at two under on day one. Young girl also holding autographed Ogilvy golf ball. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

The trio walked from the course close to 7pm local time with Ogilvy signing for a two under par 69 and Scott and Day scores of 70.

“It was pretty hard out there as the greens were pretty difficult,” said Olilvy.

“They are very fast in spots and there is spots were the overseed on the greens is pretty thick and they are normal speed whereas there is spots where the greens are dormant and that’s where they are super-fast.”

The three Australians are used to playing practice rounds in the company of each other but it’s the first time this year that three have been drawn to play in the same group.

Ogilvy is drawing on the confidence of finishing second in last fortnight’s Honda Classic and his best finish since a similar runners-up position in the Deutsch Bank Championship in October 2010 and in the second of the four FedEx Cup tournaments.

“My second place at the Honda has got my season back on track a little bit,” he said.

“I didn’t have a very good West Coast Swing and really didn’t play very well despite  playing half-decent at the end of last year.

“It was nice to just get back in the mix again on a tough course.  It was  pretty tough on the Sunday and that’s when I felt I played my best.

“So to get back on track a little bit was nice and it was good to improve my World Ranking as it did get me into last week’s WGC – Cadillac Championship.”

However the goal remains for Ogilvy in coming weeks and that is a return visit to Augusta National and the April 11th starting Masters.

A victory in the coming three weeks – Tampa Bay, Arnold Palmer Invitational and or the Shell Houston Open – will see the now 35-year make his eighth straight Augusta appearance since driving down Magnolia Lane for a first occasion in 2006 where he finished T16th.

“The Masters is still the goal and I feel as though I am heading in the right direction,” he said.

“I really want to be back there next month as it is my favourite golf tournament and put this way, I won’t be watching it on TV.”

American Shawn Stefani posted a six under par 65 to lead the Tampa Bay by two strokes.