Simon Khan mirrored Open Champion Padraig Harrington’s putting stroke to devastating effect to take the first round lead in the Deutsche Bank Player’s Championship of Europe at Gut Kaden.
Khan did not qualify for The Open at Carnoustie and instead spent his time honing his putting stroke at home, returning to an old putter and a grip he used as a junior with the index finger of his right hand down the shaft. He noticed Harrington used a similar style, albeit with the left hand, on his way to lifting the Claret Jug on Sunday and the result for Khan was a series of holed lengthy putts in an opening seven under par 65.
That left him a stroke ahead of two other Englishmen, Lee Slattery and Oliver Wilson, who both shot 66, with seven players a further shot back on five under par.
Khan got off to the perfect start, four under par after three holes after starting birdie, birdie, eagle by holing two putts of 20 feet and then one from 30 feet. His momentum faltered with a bogey on the fourth but nevertheless made another birdie at the eighth to an outward half of 32. Three more birdies coming home, the shortest of which was a putt of 15 feet, took him to the top of the leaderboard.
“I felt really good going out,” said Khan. “I worked really hard on my putting last week. I was really disappointed not to play in the Open. I played in the last two and felt I was better off doing some practice so I didn’t watch a lot of it.
"Instead I went back to an old putter, changed my grip a little bit to how I used to putt as I did as a kid, with my finger down the shaft. I noticed Harrington does that although with the other hand. It felt really good last week and the first three holes today I holed three good putts. Bang, bang, bang and it makes such a difference.”
Slattery has also got next year’s Open on his mind, and two months ago bought a flat just 300 yards from next year’s venue at Royal Birkdale. Unfortunately he too has fallen victim to the flooding that has ravaged parts of England after a drain overflowed and water flooded through his front door.
“I’ve had a lot on my plate the last few weeks, but luckily I moved in with my brother and he's dealing with everything,” said Slattery. “The reason I bought it was because we have The Open there next year.”
Wilson also got off to a good start as he too chases his first European Tour title having come close in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand earlier this year when he lost a play-off to Anton Haig.
“I got off to a nice start, steady, holed a few putts early on. But I felt quite uncomfortable, to be honest, with my swing, but managed to keep putting well holing a few surprise putts towards the end, which was nice,” he said.
Swedes Henrik Stenson and Niclas Fasth can overtake Harrington on top of The European Tour Order of Merit with victory on Sunday. Fasth is three strokes off Khan's lead and Stenson five.
England's Paul Casey is also three shots behind Khan. Last year's Order of Merit runner-up, edged out by Harrington in the final counting event of 2006, the Volvo Masters, has decided to model himself on the Irish Major Champion.
“I would very much like my career to emulate Padraig’s,” said Casey, who came back from a torn back muscle to finish tied 27th at Carnoustie last week.
“If I can snag an Order of Merit in the next few years and then go on to win a Major like he has, I would be happy.”
