England’s Barry Lane, who won his first tournament in a decade when he won The Daily Telegraph Damovo British Masters in May, leads the European challenge after the completion of the delayed first round of the World Golf Championships – NEC Invitational after a three under par 67 at Firestone Country Club, left him four adrift of leader Stewart Cink of America.
Lane currently lies 17th in the combined Ryder Cup points list but could still earn a second Ryder Cup cap 11 years after his first.
"If it goes well it goes well - I am very relaxed about things," he said. "I've had a really good year and I'm playing some lovely golf."
Thomas Levet of France and Sergio Garcia of Spain, two players assured of their place in the European Team heading for Oakland Hills next month, are a further shot back on two under par 68 in a group that includes three time winner and World Number One Tiger Woods. Woods, his position at the top of the World Rankings under threat from both South African Ernie Els and Vijay Singh of Fiji, bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes before play was suspended for darkness yesterday and dropped another shot when he returned to the course this morning.
Swede’s Fredrik Jacobson and Jesper Parnevik, and Scot’s Colin Montgomerie and Scott Drummond, all of whom need something special to climb into the qualifying places for The 35th Ryder Cup Matches, all carded a one under par 69, as did England’s Lee Westwood, a certainty for the Team, and Argentina’s Angel Cabrera.
But Swede Joakim Haeggman, 12th in the race, trailed in last with an 80 and subsequently withdrew from the tournament.
Cink, handed a wild card for the United States Team by Hal Sutton on Monday, had seven birdies in his opening round, to lie two clear of Zach Jonson of America.
