First round leaderboard:
-6 J Rose (Eng), P Harrington (Ire), M Goggin (Aus), C Wi, (Kor) -5 B Watson (US), C Pavin (US) B Curtis (US, K Sutherland (US), V Singh (Fij), M Jones (Aus), A Price (Aus) Selected others: -2 R Goosen (SA) -1 M Laird (Sco), B Davis (Eng)

Rose had to battle the worst of the conditions on Thursday

Justin Rose birdied five of his last six holes to join Padraig Harrington in a group of four players tied for the lead at the Travelers Championship.

The pair shot six-under-par 64s to set the pace with Charlie Wi of South Korea and Australia's Mathew Goggin.

Rose missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th but was not too concerned.

"I was more than happy to walk off there with a par, but sometimes when things are going your way, you roll in a 30-footer," he said in Connecticut.

"The key today was staying really patient and realising the conditions this afternoon were fairly tough.

"I felt good about things. I wasn't forcing it, wasn't chasing it, and I think that probably allowed me to get hot."

It was gusty but if you timed it well it wasn't that bad Fijian veteran Vijay Singh

Rose is trying to stretch the United Kingdom's winning streak in the United States to four tournaments in a row.

Rose set the ball rolling with victory in the Memorial Tournament, his first title in the United States, and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood followed up by winning the St Jude Classic in Memphis before Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell's triumph in the US Open on Sunday.

Harrington, Goggin and Wi all benefited from ideal conditions at River Highlands in the morning, finishing before high wind and heavy rain forced a 90-minute delay.

Harrington teed off on the 10th and birdied his first three holes as he reached the turn in four under.

Goggin opened with back-to-back birdies and had three birdies on each side of the turn, while Wi nabbed four birdies on the back nine, including three in a row from the 12th, as both players went bogey-free throughout their rounds.

"The conditions were perfect when we teed off," Wi said. "The wind didn't start blowing until about the seventh hole so I was able to make some birdies when the conditions were perfect."

Harrington believes attacking golf is the best option at River Highlands

Fijian veteran Vijay Singh posted a 65 in the afternoon despite the tricky conditions.

"It wasn't totally into us, except for six holes, I think," Singh said of the wind. "It wasn't awfully bad. It was gusty, but if you timed it well, it wasn't that bad."

He was joined by half a dozen other players on 65, including US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin, who hit all 14 fairways in regulation.

Nine players finished the day with 66s while Swedish pair Carl Petterson and Mathias Gronberg were among those shooting three-under 67s.

Retief Goosen of South Africa posted a 68, four shots off the pace, while defending champion Kenny Perry, who equalled the course record with a first-round 61 a year ago, is in the group on one under.

Perry's winning score in 2009 was 22 under par and Harrington said the possibility of low scores at River Highlands encouraged attacking play.

"You've got to think you've got to make birdies," Harrington said. "You really do. You've got to poach first and take your chance every now and again that you will get yourself in trouble, but hopefully you'll recover."

Chad Campbell enlivened the opening round with a hole-in-one at the 165-yard 16th hole, where he hit a six-iron.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version