Padraig Harrington gave himself the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and successfully defend a title on the 2001 European Tour International Schedule when he moved into the lead after the first round of the Telefonica Open de Madrid.
The World Number One claimed his second successive WGC-NEC Invitational title in Ohio in August and Harrington moved into position to do the same, carding a scintillating eight under par 63 at the Club de Campo course where his 267 total 12 months ago gave him the trophy.
The 30 year old Dubliner moved a shot clear of Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and two in front of fellow countryman Des Smyth and the Spanish duo of Miguel Angel Jiménez and Carlos Rodiles. Current Volvo Order of Merit leader Retief Goosen was one of a group of players who opened with 66s.
Harrington’s move to the top of the leaderboard was cemented thanks to a thrilling display of golf around the turn, where he picked up five shots in five holes.
His run started with a eagle three at the 540 yard seventh before he then hit his tee shot to five feet on the ninth to turn in 32. When he started the inward half with two more birdies he was two clear of the field.
A bogey at the 422 yard 16th meant he dropped back alongside Gallacher momentarily, but two closing birdies enabled him to reach eight under. It would have matched the course record of Eduardo Romero and Seve Ballesteros, set in 1991, had it not been for preferred lies which were in use for the first round.
But it nevertheless continued a remarkable run of form for Harrington at Club de Campo, where he also won the Peugeot Open de España in 1996. Statistics show that his last nine rounds have seen him break par every time, including six scores in the 60s, giving him a cumulative aggregate of 41 under par.
The Irishman, who lost to Ian Woosnam in the final of the Cisco World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club a fortnight ago, suggested the defeat had not been helped by not eating his usual diet of fruit and sweets during the afternoon round. But he admitted his culinary requirements had been taken care of properly in Spain.
“I played very aggressively, but I put a couple of shots down to poor concentration again. Not through lack of food this time, though, but down to tiredness. I feel shattered,” he said. “However, I'm delighted, especially with the two birdies to finish. That always makes lunch taste better.”
Second placed Gallacher had the added pleasure of posting his lowest ever round as a professional, his seven under par 64 featuring eight birdies in total, including one at the short ninth, his last hole of the day having started at the tenth.
One shot behind, Rodiles, like Gallacher, started at the tenth and ended in similarly spectacular fashion, birdieing the sixth, seventh and ninth holes, the perfect reply to his only bogey of the day which came at the 407 yard fifth.
Alongside the Spaniard, Irishman Smyth continued to prove that age is no barrier to performance with an excellent 65. The 48 year old became the oldest winner in European Tour history in March when he captured the Madeira Island Open and showed similar form in his opening round with seven birdies in total.
And Jiménez moved into contention for his first European Tour title since he won the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo in 1999 with two birdies in his closing five holes for a 65.
In the race for the Volvo Order of Merit title, Retief Goosen took another big step towards succeeding Lee Westwood as European Number One with a flawless 66. Only Ulsterman Darren Clarke can stop the South African but the race will be over if the US Open champion wins in Spain.
He kept a bogey off his card, and a pitch to three feet on the 349 yard 18th took him into a share of third place. However Goosen admitted he still felt there was room for improvement in some aspects of his play.
“I'm not entirely happy with the way I'm hitting the ball at the moment and I tried something different on every shot, so therefore I'm very pleased with the score.
``I think playing in the wind threw my rhythm off but I tried to think positively and I was able to take advantage of the par fives and then hit a good pitch at the last.''
Clarke however, showed he had not given up without a fight, battling back bravely to post a four under par 67 to finish only one shot behind Goosen.
The Irishman’s challenge appeared to be faltering when he bogeyed the fifth and sixth holes, his 14th and 15th of the day, but he recovered manfully, matching leader Harrington’s eagle three at the seventh before finishing his day’s work with a birdie two at the ninth.
