GOLF/TRANSITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP:PAUL CASEY shot an impeccable, seven-under-par 64 to grab the early lead in the first round of the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa Bay, Florida, yesterday.
Casey started at the 10th hole and registered seven birdies without a bogey, capping his stellar card with back-to-back birdies from the seventh.
World number seven Casey, who won the Volvo Champions event on the European Tour this season, held a two-stroke lead over red-hot American Nick Watney.
Watney, who won last week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship and has finished in the top 10 in each of his five tournaments this year, was alone in second place at 66.
Bunched another stroke back on 67 were Rory Sabbatini, John Senden and Americans Justin Leonard, Joe Durant, Ryan Moore and Gary Woodland.
Pádraig Harrington had a disappointing finish on his way to signing for a two-over 73 which left him at the back of the field.
The Dubliner, who like Casey started on the 10th, showed perfect consistency to par his first nine holes, then started his back nine with a birdie at the par five first.
But he then slipped back with bogeys at the fourth, sixth and ninth to leave himself with work to do to make the cut this evening.
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