BBC SPORT | Golf | Harrington enjoys great start

First round leaderboard

Padraig Harrington showed no signs of a Ryder Cup hangover as he took his final day form at The Belfry to the Dunhill Links Championship.

The 31-year-old Dubliner was in sparkling form at Carnoustie to post a six-under-par score.

Argentine Eduardo Romero, a winner at Loch Lomond this year, leads the field at seven-under-par, also shot at Carnoustie.

Harrington began his account with an eagle at the 337-yard third before dropping his only shot at the next hole.

Then the birdies began to flow as the Irishman reaped the benefits of a serious practice session with coach Bob Torrance, father of Ryder Cup captain Sam, on Wednesday.

Leaderboard

Seven-under-par: Eduardo Romero

Six-under-par:
Padraig Harrington
Nic Lawrence
Jyoti Randhawa

Harrington's partner, racehorse owner J.P McManus, also enjoyed a good day, taking the pair to a 10-under total.

That puts them one shot behind Romero and his partner, Edinburgh lawyer Neil Crichton, in the team event.

Players and their amateur partners in this pro-am event play a round each at Carnoustie, St Andrews and Kingsbarns over the first three days, with a cut coming ahead of the final round on the Old Course on Sunday.

Paul McGinley, who holed the winning putt at The Belfry, did not enjoy quite such a good finish to his day as Harrington, with bogeys at the last two holes taking him to a one-over-par total.

First round photos

Of Europe's other Ryder Cup heroes, Thomas Bjorn and Philip Price are doing well.

The Dane shot a five-under-par score at Carnoustie, while the Welshman, widely acclaimed for his singles victory over world number two Phil Mickelson at The Belfry, finished three-under at the Old Course.

Local favourite Colin Montgomerie, playing alongside BBC pundit Alan Hansen, finished his day at Carnoustie at two-under-par.

Torrance withdraws

Darren Clarke and Niclas Fasth both came in with level-par 72s, but a number of the European team were finding it more difficult to adjust back to strokeplay.

Swede Pierre Fulke managed only a 79, while Lee Westwood had five bogeys and a double in a 76.

South Africans Retief Goosen and Open champion Ernie Els, battling for the European Order of Merit title, began their campaigns at Carnoustie.

Goosen holds a two-stroke advantage over Els after a two-under-par round of 70.

Last year's winner Paul Lawrie got off to a poor start, carding a two-over par 74 at Kingsbarns.


	Links to more Golf stories