Return to happy hunting ground

Golf: Padraig Harrington set himself up to oust compatriot Darren Clarke from this year's Order of Merit runners-up spot with an inspired 65 at the Telefonica Madrid Open yesterday.

Harrington shot an almost flawless six-under-par opening round at the Club de Campo course to leave him two shots behind England's Paul Casey.

The Dubliner, who has won at this venue twice, is in joint third with Sweden's Robert Karlsson, one stroke behind home favourite Sergio Garcia.

Paul McGinley, who was forced by a traffic jam to run two miles before catching a taxi to the course, still managed to shoot a level par 71. Gary Murphy sits with McGinley on the same mark.

"I'm very happy on this course, for some reason I do like it," Harrington said. "I played well out there today and I'm in with a good shout. It was difficult out there, particularly with the wind.

"But it was nice to come back with that score after a break," he added.

Harrington, who had two weeks off, returned with a round containing seven birdies and a single bogey.

He said on Tuesday that he would like to overhaul Clarke in the Order of Merit and would need a win here to bridge the nearly €500,000 gap. Clarke has pulled out of this week's event.

Harrington's maiden win came here in 1996 when Club de Campo, on the outskirts of Madrid, staged the Spanish Open. He won here again in 2000, but wasn't expecting the sizzling 65 which came in chilly conditions.

"I came out today just trying not to hit it too hard and try not to start too quickly. In the end I did start quickly.

"I birdied the four par threes, to have four twos is always a help. I hit all the fairways and missed a few greens.

"But I didn't really put myself under pressure for par. I didn't really have a putt longer than three or four feet for par, and I don't think I had too many over six feet for birdie."

Graham McDowell signed for a one-over-par 72, and Peter Lawrie, who is a certain to be Ireland's first rookie of the year, finished with a 74.

Early starter Casey returned an eight-under-par 63. The Englishman, who started at the 10th, went out in 31 and had an eagle and two birdies on the way back.

Preferred lies meant it won't count as a course record.

Despite his absence from tournament play, Harrington, as always, has continued to tinker.

"I'm trying a few new things out there, particularly on my set up. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't."

He has developed a waggle he describes as similar to that of Masters champion Mike Weir.

He believes the course is pretty tough, despite his 65, of which he said: "It won't need four of those, that's for sure."

"It was good to come back (after the birth of his son) and play well. Normally you like to finish well going into a break and you don't come back expecting too much.

"I'm happy with the score, and that's a double bonus."

Paul McGinley almost didn't make it to the first tee due to traffic restrictions imposed for a international conference on Iraq in the Spanish capital. He took 45 minutes to negotiate just a half a mile of the route to the course - he was forced to run two miles, in an unspecified time, and jump in a cab for the remainder of the trip. But he made it in time and was two-under at one point.

Lawrie, who is assured of the Henry Cotton trophy, will emulate such great names as Josie Maria Olazabal, Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle.

Lyle won his rookie title in 1978, but 25 years later he is engaged in a seemingly doomed struggle to retain his card.

The two-time major winner signed for a 77 and is 14 strokes behind at six over. The 45-year-old Scot is 144th on this year's money list, but also 41st on the career money list - and with only 115 players earning cards for next season off the first table and 40 of the career winners making it from the second, he has to finish ninth at worst on Sunday just to have a chance of staying a full member.

But now he is struggling to make the cut.

Meanwhile, on the US Tour, South Africa's Brenden Pappas fired a nine-under-par 63 to take the lead early in the first round of the Funai Classic.

Pappas leads by one over Pat Perez, while veterans David Peoples and Dan Forsman share third place on 65.

Tiger Woods, who has won the tournament twice, carded a 66 and is tied with Australia's Geoff Ogilvy, Corey Pavin and Ben Crane.

The Funai is being played over two par-72 courses, the Palm and Magnolia, for the first two rounds. The final two rounds will be played at the Magnolia.