GOLF:ON AN otherwise blemish-free afternoon, a poor tee shot at the final hole cost Pádraig Harrington second place as Nicolas Colsaerts blazed a trail on the opening day of the Volvo Golf Champions.

Harrington double bogeyed at the par-five 18th at the Fancourt links course in South Africa to finish on four under, five adrift of the big-hitting Colsaerts.

All had been going swimmingly for the Dubliner, who has slipped to 89th in the world rankings after a poor 2011, until he reached the 18th tee and carved his drive into thick bushes. Harrington was forced to take a penalty drop and then, upon reaching the green, compounded the error by three-putting.

The two dropped shots, his only ones of the day, meant Harrington was forced to settle for a round of 69 and, instead of outright second, he slipped back to a tie for fifth place.

“Such is life,” said Harrington, who is trying to get back into the top 64 in time for next month’s Accenture World Matchplay in Arizona.

“It was a very comfortable six under for 17 holes, but it’s a nasty tee shot and that was a mental error.”

Colsaerts had earlier broken the course record with a dazzling nine-under-par round of 64. The Belgian birdied nine of the last 11 holes, including the final four, to establish a four-stroke lead over Englishman Tom Lewis and local hopes Branden Grace and Thomas Aiken.

While the tournament aims to bring together last season’s winners on the European Tour, the likes of Harrington and Colin Montgomerie were added to the 35-man field by virtue of claiming 10 or more wins on tour as Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer all opted to skip the event.

Colsaerts, the biggest hitter in Europe two years ago, was only level par after seven holes, but then had four birdies in a row around the turn and went on to cover the back nine in a seven-under 30, parring every par three on the course in the process.

Colsaerts had rounds of 62 in Indonesia in 2005 and in the Netherlands two years ago, but both were “only” eight under and he said: “This is probably the best of my life. It’s a serious test of golf. I think the longest putt I holed was from 12 feet on the second.

“I’m very happy, to have the course record on a course like this is quite a thing. I’ve heard about this place for a long time, after the President’s Cup was played here and it being the number one course in South Africa.”

Darren Clarke wasn’t enjoying his time on the course quite so much, the British Open champion finishing on one over, while Michael Hoey could only muster a five over par 78.

Even allowing for the small field, Colsaerts’ lead after day one was impressive, and there have only ever been seven events in European Tour history where someone has been further in front after 18 holes.

“Exceptional, but so is he,” said Montgomerie of Colsaerts’ nine-under-par round. “He is fantastic – potentially as good as it gets.”

Despite such praise Colsaerts has only ever tasted victory once in nearly 200 European Tour starts and that will encourage the 34 players left trailing in his wake.

However, Clarke already has 10 strokes to make up – he was wearing contact lenses for the first time, but rustiness was his problem.

Montgomerie played with Lewis and praised his performance.

The 21-year-old led the British Open last summer – his first-day 65 was the lowest ever round by an amateur in the event – and then won the Portugal Masters on only his third start as a professional.

“He has every opportunity to make you-know-what come September,” said Montgomerie in reference to the Ryder Cup.

No European has ever gone from Walker Cup to Ryder Cup in one year