Mahan sets the early target

US TOUR:  AMERICAN Hunter Mahan fired a nine-under-par 62 to seize a four-shot lead early in yesterday's first round of the Barclays Classic, the opening event of the US PGA Tour's FedExCup play-off series.

Mahan launched his round in spectacular fashion by holing out a 100-yard second shot at the par-four first for eagle and followed with eight birdies against a lone bogey on the 7,319-yard Ridgewood Country Club course.

The 26-year-old Mahan also finished with a flourish, sinking a three-foot putt to birdie the last.

England's Paul Casey was in second place on 66 after a lively round that featured eight birdies and three bogeys.

Tied at 67 were Australian Mathew Goggin and Americans Bo Van Pelt and Kevin Streelman, one shot better than Australian Adam Scott and Americans Rich Beem and George McNeill.

Double major winner Pádraig Harrington had shown no immediate signs of a hangover from his US PGA Championship victory at Oakland Hills 11 days ago. He opened his round at the par-three 10th with a tee shot to four feet from the hole to get his day up and running with a birdie.

The Dubliner, playing with Kenny Perry and Phil Mickelson in a group of the top-ranked FedEx Cup players, came unstuck at the turn, however, double bogeying the par-four 18th.

Harrington then birdied his 10th hole but bogeyed the par-five third on his way to an opening 72, one over par.

Perry, number two in the FedEx points standings, bogeyed his last for a two-under 68 with Mickelson, ranked third behind Perry and the absent Tiger Woods, carding a one-under 69.

Ian Poulter's bid for a place on the European Ryder Cup team via the world points list was hitting a snag with the Englishman posting three bogeys and one birdie for a two-over-par round of 73.

Poulter needs a sole fourth-place finish at Ridgewood on Sunday, with Justin Rose placing outside the top two at the KLM Open in the Netherlands if he is to move onto the top five automatic qualifying places on the list.

Meanwhile, Vijay Singh has blasted the PGA of America for the severity of the greens at the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills two weeks ago.

Singh went into the year's final major on the back of a victory at the previous weekend's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational but missed the cut at Oakland Hills and had long departed the Detroit course by the time Harrington completed his two-stroke victory.

"The PGA from tee to green was one of the best we play but the greens were a disgrace on a course that good," he said.

"I think if the members were to play at the speed of the greens we played, they'd all quit.

"I don't know what the PGA was going for. I don't think they should have another golf tournament there if the greens are like that.

"Get someone to redesign the green, they were a disaster."

Having also missed last week's cut in the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield in Greensboro, North Carolina, the 45-year-old insisted he feels much more comfortable at this week's Barclays tournament playing a composite 7,319-yard, par-71 course featuring the best 18 holes at Ridgewood Country Club's three AW Tillinghast-designed nine-hole layouts.

"We are playing a good golf course," added Singh.

"Last week was okay, a decent golf course but this is what all the players really look forward to.

"Playing a golf course of this nature, the greens are smallish — you have to know what side of the green to hit at - but they are by no means flat. They are very playable.

"Players enjoy playing golf courses like this. I've never heard anyone say anything negative about this golf course.

"You have to bring the whole package here to play well, you can't just come here and think that you are going to hit the ball a long way and score well."