European Tour European Players' ChampionshipLee Westwood's second comeback dramatically gathered pace with yesterday's course-record 63 in the opening round of the European Players' Championship in Hamburg.
The Englishman, who was the European number one in 2000, led by a stroke from the world number five Retief Goosen of South Africa and the Swede Robert Karlsson.
An up-and-down career has seen the 30-year-old Westwood suffer two wilderness years before emerging to win two titles in 2003.
Deep into his third subsequent summer, however, he is floundering once more in the European (53rd) and world (58th) rankings although with 600,000 points on offer for the winner here, he could lift himself as high as 12th.
For many European fans a Ryder Cup team without Westwood, a key figure in the 1999, 2002 and 2004 wins, is unimaginable. Also, his 1999 and 2000 European Open wins came at the K Club, September's Ryder Cup venue.
"All I'm concentrating on is getting another win," he said. "That would push me into the reckoning. It's a week you don't want to miss out on - I've played pretty well in all four of my Cup outings.
"If I don't make the team hopefully I'll play well enough and (captain Ian Woosnam, only two behind after a storm-interrupted 65) will think 'He's starting to play some good golf, he won a couple of times around that course and (he) could do it for the team'. But I'm trying hard to play my way in rather than rely on someone picking me."
Westwood has three more chances after this week in Hamburg - the PGA Championship and WGC Invitational in the US, and the final qualifier in Munich.
"I'm going on holiday to the Bahamas next week," he said. "I've played six in a row and I'm getting a bit weary. I'm feeling drained. I'll drink plenty of water this week and do nothing too stressful."
The smart money would be on the man who ended Colin Montgomerie's seven-year run as European number one in 2000 to make it back to The K Club as he is on a hat-trick of wins in this event, having shot 61 before the course was altered in 1998 and adding the 2000 title.
"I seem to feel comfortable in Germany - unlike the England football team," added Westwood, who shot six of his nine birdies going to the turn in 30.
Goosen's round had seven birdies and an eagle. "I'd just like to play more consistently and get a couple of wins before the end of the year," he said.
"Normally when I hit the ball bad I make up for it with my putting but it hasn't happened this year."
Karlsson kept alive his hopes of a Ryder Cup debut with a round that was eight better than John Daly's.
In 1999 he finished 11th on the table but Andrew Coltart, a place below him, was chosen for a wild-card by captain Mark James.
On a day of low scoring, 91 of the 156-strong field were under par before an approaching thunderstorm forced play to be suspended at 4.50pm local time.
However, Daly was not among them after struggling to a level-par 72 to lie nine off the pace.
The 1995 Open champion ran up a triple-bogey eight on the 18th at Hoylake last week, hitting two balls out of bounds to miss the cut by two shots, and unfortunately carried on where he left off in similarly hot conditions.
Four over par after four and three over with six to play, Daly played the final four holes in three under par to at least give him a fighting chance of making the halfway cut.
Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell are the best of the Irish challenge after posting four-under-par 68s.
Harrington, who missed the cut at last weeks' British Open, had halves of 33 and 35 for his 68 while McDowell birdied the 17th and 18th in a back-nine of 33.
David Higgins, Damien McGrane and Peter Lawrie are all on 69 with Paul McGinley a shot back on 70.
Gary Murphy on 73 Michael Hoey on 74 and Stephen Browne on 75 have work to do if they are to make the halfway cut.
Sergio Garcia birdied three of the last four holes for a 69 while Denmark's Thomas Bjorn retired after only 12 holes with a wrist injury.
Play resumed at 7:25pm after a delay of two hours and 35 minutes, and Ryder Cup captain Woosnam moved into a share of fourth place on seven under par.
Only a double bogey on the 11th prevented him joining Westwood at the top of the leaderboard and the 48-year-old said: "I'm delighted. I played well but that's the best I've putted for 10 years. Putting well makes a big difference in my game. "
Luke Donald fired seven birdies and is four off the lead on five-under-par 67.
