Woods strikes early in Hollow

GOLF TOUR NEWS: - US PGA TOURPádraig Harrington started his round well with two birdies on the first two holes and was four under at the 16th before finishing with a triple bogey on the 17th and a double bogey on the 18th, leaving him one over par on 72.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has clearly put the US Masters Tournament behind him. Woods, who bogeyed his final two holes to finish sixth in the first major of the year last month, holds a three-shot lead in the opening round of the Quail Hollow Championship.

Woods, who started at the 10th hole, birdied just one of his opening nine holes, before shooting 30 over his second nine at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a bogey-free round of 65, seven under.

And his top rival Phil Mickelson was hot on his heels, alone in second on five under after 12 holes of his opening round.

Woods entered the final round of the Masters seven shots off the lead and closed the gap to one shot before falling back. He failed to win the tournament for the fourth straight year, the longest stretch of his career without a victory at Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club.

- EUROPEAN TOUR:Danish Ryder Cup player Soren Hansen broke the PGA Catalunya course record with a nine-under-par 63 in the Spanish Open, which began yesterday – after starting with a double bogey.

An hour after Frenchman Thomas Levet had equalled the old mark set by England’s Peter Baker nine years ago, Hansen completed one of the most remarkable rounds of his career. “It was unbelievable,” he said. “I hit an awful opening drive and it looked like a miserable day, but I came back with some great golf.”

The 25-year-old from Copenhagen, part of Nick Faldo’s side in Louisville last September, came back from his opening six with birdies on the next two holes, then finished the outward half with three more to turn in 33.

After that came one of only two eagles all day at the 527-yard 12th, another hat-trick of birdies from the 14th and one more on the 449-yard last, despite driving into a fairway bunker.

It left American John Daly already seven behind on his return to golf after more than four months out – he is still banned by the US Tour and in February underwent lap-band stomach surgery – and Colin Montgomerie nine adrift.

Levet is alone in second, one ahead of Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara and also Callum Macaulay, looking more and more like the next big thing in the Scottish game.Last season Macaulay won his national title, then starred for Scotland in their astonishing nine-stroke victory at the World Amateur Team championship.

Daly matched Levet’s eagle on the seventh and badly needed that after mixing three birdies with three bogeys in the preceding 15 holes. “I’m happy with it,” said the 43-year-old after not only his first round of 2009, but also his first since the stomach surgery in February.

Defending champion Peter Lawrie is best of the Irish after a 68 that included six birdies and just two dropped shots at the fifth and 18th. Jonathan Caldwell, Gary Murphy, Damien McGrane and Paul McGinley are all on two-under-par 70, with Michael Hoey well off the pace after a 77.

- CHALLENGE TOUR:Julien Clément has a one-stroke lead in the Moroccan Classic after an eagle on his first hole helped him to an opening round 68.

Clément holed his second shot from the bunker on the 10th after finding the fairway trap with his drive. He followed that with a birdie on the 11th after hitting the pin with his approach and then sinking an eight-foot putt.

The 27-year-old dropped a shot on the 16th but posted birdies on the 18th and fourth holes to move to four under par, a shot clear of a group of six players at Pullman El Jadida Royal Golf and Spa.

Richard Kilpatrick mixed four bogeys with three birdies for a 73, Noel Fox is on two-over-par 74, with Michael McGeady and Gareth Shaw on 75 and Colm Moriarty on 78.

- AMATEUR:Shane Lowry could have a score to settle in the Lytham Trophy, the first major scratch tournament at the season, which starts today.

The Esker Hills man, who is 15th in the world rankings, will tee off in the second group immediately behind David Corsby.

The Lancashire player from the host club, Royal Lytham and St Annes, beat Lowry in final of the West of Ireland Championship at Co Sligo last month and the pair are expected to be in contention over the next three days.

Lowry heads a six-strong Irish contingent, which includes Niall Kearney from Royal Dublin, Portstewart’s Paul Cutler and Dara Lernihan, from Castle.