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By Dave Shedloski
PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Jack Nicklaus won the Australian Open six times. Looks like he imported a satellite version of it to Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Adam Scott is looking for his second win in 2007. (WireImage)

Australia for a number of years has enjoyed strong representation on the PGA TOUR, but in the last year they appear to be breaking out. They're showing their collective strength at Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley by hording the top three spots through 36 holes and making noise in other spots here and there at the course Nicklaus designed.

Adam Scott, after a scintillating 10-under-par 62, leads at 12-under par, one shy of Scott Hoch's 36-hole tournament record set in 1987. Um, great Scotts apparently abound here.

Meanwhile, compatriot Rod Pampling, after a bogey-free 68, sits one back, and Aaron Baddely is tied for third with American long-ball artist Bubba Watson at 10 under par after his own 68.

What's going on here?

"Well, we're all good players, that's what's going on," said Nick O'Hern, who shared the first-round lead with a 65 and capped off a roller-coaster 74 Friday by hitting a nearly impossible bunker shot from a severe downhill lie into the cup for an improbable birdie at the home hole that he rated "15" on a scale of 1-10.

Rod Pampling has enjoyed plenty of success later in his career. (WireImage)

"I think I'll go and buy a Lotto ticket now," he smirked.

Betting on the Aussies seems like smart money these days.

Geoff Ogilvy, No. 8 in the world, defends his U.S. Open title in two weeks at nearby Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Scott won the TOUR Championship in November and is ranked No. 4 in the world. Robert Allenby leads the TOUR in top-10 finishes with six. Baddeley, who had two Australian Open titles by age 20, is starting to fulfill his potential by capturing his second TOUR win at the FBR Open in February.

There's more. Stuart Appleby has won at least once the last four years, including three straight Mercedes-Benz Championships populated solely by TOUR winners. O'Hern's victory over Tiger Woods at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship was his second against the No. 1 player in the world in that event.

If the International Team were determined tomorrow for this year's Presidents Cup, it would feature five Aussies among the top 10 in the world rankings -- Scott, Ogilvy, O'Hern, Appleby and Allenby. Baddeley is a close 11th in the standings and Pampling is 14th.

Aaron Baddeley is also looking for win No. 2 in 2007. (WireImage)

Success at the Memorial Tournament is nothing new for Aussies, it should be noted. David Graham won here in 1980. Greg Norman, who arguably did more for golf in his country -- at least in terms of inspiration -- than anyone before or since, twice won Jack's tournament, in 1990 and '95.

"Australian golf is very deep right now, talent-wise," Scott said. "It's been well reported that we think it's a carry-on effect of Greg Norman's influence on the game of golf in Australia. You know, he really made the game popular down there, and there were enough of us that took it seriously to get to this level. So I think you're seeing a wave of players inspired by Greg Norman."

Inspiration is one thing. Execution another, and the Aussies are making in-roads continually in big events.

Appleby had a realistic chance of winning the Masters. Scott, who won THE PLAYERS Championship in 2004, was joined by countryman Peter Lonard in the top six at the TPC Sawgrass last month. Veteran Steve Elkington, a two-time PLAYERS champ, finished 12th. Ogilvy, who had the day's second best score Friday at Muirfield Village, a 67, and Pampling were in the hunt on the weekend at the PLAYERS Stadium Course until late stumbles -- not unusual there.

Geoff Ogilvy looks to be in fine form heading into his U.S. Open title defense. (WireImage)

Forget about an Aussie invasion. They long ago established a beachhead.

Baddeley didn't think it much of a surprise that he's part of a Down Under assault on the leaderboard at Muirfield Village.

"There's a few of us up there right now," Baddeley said. "I guess the firm greens and the firm fairways and the greens are fast sort of has some similarities to Australia.

"Down there you play a lot of different courses, tough conditions, so you sort of get to grow up playing all types of courses and you get experience playing well on different courses, so it really doesn't scare us.

Nor does it scare him that his competition is so familiar.

"I think it's great seeing Aussies doing well," Baddeley said. "You always sort of pull for the Aussie guys because you feel they're your countrymen. I enjoy watching them play. It's great."