DAVID HIGGINS marked his first visit to Germany by shooting an eight under par 64 to lead the BMW International Open in Munich yesterday. In easily the best performance of his first year the European Tour the 23 year old from Waterville, rocketed we'll clear of Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, and American Paul Azinger, as well as the last two BMW winners Mark McNulty and Frank Nobilo, and in form fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington, who had 68.
Two other lesser lights, England's Phil Golding and Frenchman Marc Farry and former Youths champion, Lee Westwood, also hit form to limit Higgins' first round advantage to one shot. But no one could match the inspired spell from Higgins which brought him eight birdies in the space of 10 holes and within one stroke of Jarmo Sandelin's course record.
The rookie professional, who is coached by his father and his brother Brian, belied his lowly rating of 191st in the Volvo rankings with an outstanding exhibition of attacking iron play and sound putting. Six of his birdies came in succession in a homeward 31 in which he had only 12 putts.
"It is my first trip to Germany but as soon as I got to Munich I felt comfortable and at home, he said. Everything about the area from the hotels to the golf course is perfect for me and I was, always at ease." His figures did the rest of the talking as he holed twice from 15 feet and twice from 12 feet.
Harrington, who has been the standard bearer for the new generation of Irish tournament Professionals this season, produced another highly competent performance in the company of Ryder Cup player Mark James.
The Spanish Open champion had five birdies, holing twice from 15 feet and twice from 10 feet, but was not happy with his wedge play. He also missed the second green from 100 yards to drop his only stroke. Ronan Rafferty, who has become the latest to consult the Belgian sports psychologist Jobs Vanstiphout, had 69 as did Milltown's Francis Howley.
Howley got to three under par with a hat trick of birdies despite his group being warned for slow play halfway through his opening stretch from the 10th. It was not Howley who was guilty but the Turkish born German Erol Simsek, who became the first player on the European Tour to be penalised one stroke for slow play.
Simsek was a judged guilty of three breaches of the timing regulations, two on the 18th, and the third while putting on the second green. In addition to the one stroke penalty which was imposed at the second, turning a bogey five into a double bogey six, he was fined £500. Howley said: "I did not have any breaches but because of being on the watch I felt I was rushing all the time. It knocked me out of my rhythm for a while." Nevertheless he was home in 34 on the longest stretch of the 7,035 yard parkland course, ending a highly satisfactory outing with a 20 foot birdie putt.
Darren Clarke looked set for an excellent start when he moved to four under par at the 16th, but he overshot the short 17th green with his three iron and the ball bounded off a bank into a water hazard costing him a double bogey. Then he drove into rough at the last to lose another shot and he eventually signed for a 71.
Raymond Burns showed how the awkward finishing holes should be played by getting a birdie four at the 17th and followed with a six yard birdie putt to hand in a 70. But Eamonn Darcy will take no further part after a 75. He withdrew with a recurrence of back trouble. Christy O'Connor Jnr also had 75 while Eoghan O Connell crashed to 80 after an outward 43.
