Harrington makes best of early weather

PADRAIG HARRINGTON once again spearheaded the Irish challenge when the new Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge began at the Pennine hotel resort yesterday.

In fact, the Stackstown professional shared the lead at the halfway point of the opening round with his excellent, two under par 70, before the moor land wind died to a whisper to the benefit of the later starters.

South African Retief Goosen profited most, taking a two stroke plead over Spain's Juan Carlos Pinero with a six under par 66 which included five birdies in an inward 31. England's David Howell and Gordon J Brand, and Scot Adam Hunter, who beat Darren Clarke in a play off for last year's Portuguese Open, shared third place on 69. Harrington was alone among the seven Irish contenders for the £50,000 title to beat par. Eoghan O'Connell, who began with such high hopes of re establishing himself in Europe took 82.

But Harrington rebounded from two failures in his last three outings with a thoroughly professional performance.

Harrington began at the 10th, with a flurry of three birdies in the first six holes and turned in 34, despite an off line drive at the 16th that resulted in him having, to drop out of a bush under penalty.

Yet that was his last mistake as Harrington marched home with 11 successive pars. After a chip and putt birdie four at the 11th, he hit two six irons inches from the flag at the downhill 13th, and got down from 12 feet on the 15th green.

After his wayward tee shot at the next his only serious alarm came at the short sixth, where his four iron tee shot left him an awkward pitch over a large mound. He got his recovery to within six feet and sank the par saving putt to make up for the birdie chance he missed from around the same distance on the second.

"I am absolutely thrilled with "that" he said, "and I would jump at four more of them. I putted exceptionally well and hit a lot of good iron shots, but I am still a bit erratic from the tee and, not quite sure where the baff is going." Neither was O'Connell, who, got out in 38 from the 10th but then had four bogeys in the first five inward holes. But the real card wreckers were his two drives from the eighth tee. His first was lost in shrubbery, and his second was so deep in the trees on the opposite side of the fairway that he had to take a penalty stroke.

He needed five shots to reach the fairway and a quadruple bogey eight went on his &rd. It was a sad return to the circuit for the former Walker Cup player, who has been working for the last three months on restructuring his game with coach Simon Holmes in Florida.

"I was hoping I had solved my driving problems," said O'Connell ruefully, "but I guess not." Waterville's David Higgins, and the host club's new tournament professional, Ronan Rafferty, both had 73. Paul McGinley got into a challenging position with a 74, despite "playing poorly".

McGinley admitted that he did not enjoy playing a course on which there are several "funny" holes, the 13th, with its downhill tee shot towards a lake, a prime example. With a following wind as there was yesterday morning it is best played with two six irons.

Francis Howley lived to fight another day after a 75, but it also looks like a weekend off for Raymond Burns after his 79.