Strange finish gives Aussie lead

WALES OPEN FIRST ROUND:SCOTT STRANGE of Australia played the second half of Celtic Manor's new 2010 Ryder Cup course in just 28 strokes yesterday to lead the Wales Open.

The 31-year-old from Perth birdied seven of the nine holes for a brilliant, eight-under-par 63 which put him one ahead of Italy's Edoardo Molinari after a day that had begun with a 105-minute fog delay.

British Open champion Pádraig Harrington managed only a 70, however, while last week's PGA Championship winner Miguel Angel Jimenez struggled through 11 holes in eight over before withdrawing with a problem in his left knee.

Strange's round actually began on the long 11th because of the lay-out of the course and, after grabbing a birdie at his second hole, he then finished the inward half with five more in a row.

After covering the front nine in 35, he then completed his day's work with a two on the 210-yard 10th.

The European Tour record for nine holes is 27 - five players have done that, including Robert Lee on two occasions - but Strange would not have been added to that list if he improved his score by one because placing was allowed on the wet fairways.

Rory McIlroy birdied three of his last six holes to finish best of the Irish on three-under 68.

The teenager had only one bogey on his card, at the fifth, but he recovered immediately with a birdie three at the next, then birdied the short 13th, the 15th and short 17th.

Graeme McDowell, who is playing with Harrington for the opening rounds, eagled the long 18th for a 69.

McDowell had two bogeys in his opening nine, but also had a birdie two at the third and another birdie at the 14th.

Darren Clarke and Peter Lawrie joined Harrington on 70, while Paul McGinley, after a 72, Damien McGrane on 73 and Gary Murphy after a 74 have work to do to survive the cut.

Former US Amateur champion Molinari, older brother of 2006 Italian Open champion Francesco, had a remarkable tale to tell after his 64.

The career of the 27-year-old from Turin has been re-ignited by using a gumshield to ease a tendon problem in his left wrist.

"My dad is a dentist and he didn't believe it," said Molinari, who was recommended the shield by a member of the AC Milan medical team.

"Four or five days later there was no pain. He said the muscles down my left side were affected when I closed my mouth.

"It's making a huge difference. Before I was shooting really high numbers and for a week I could hardly lift a club.

"My father believes it now."

It looked as though Jimenez had suffered a major meltdown - or too much Rioja - as he ran up three double bogeys.

But the explanation for some shocking figures came when the Spaniard pulled out rather than risk aggravating his knee with the US Open only two weeks away.

"I've been receiving treatment for the past two afternoons, but there was no point carrying on," he said. "The pain was at its worst when I was playing from a sideways lie."

Colin Montgomerie, who missed the cut at Wentworth for the first time since his 1989 debut, turned in a better performance with a 69 after switching to a putting routine where he looks at the target rather than the ball.

"Most peculiar, very weird - in any ball game you're supposed to watch the ball," he said. "But it's amazing. It takes away all the mental approach of worrying about the stroke.

"I've been fearful somehow and I've got to reduce that fear by following through. This is the best technique for that."

Yorkshire's Danny Willett began his professional career with a 70, having made the decision last week to leave the amateur ranks when ranked world number one and after two Tour appearances in Spain in which he finished 19th and 10th.