In time, it could be construed as an inspired decision, but Paul McGinley's judgment that a re-arrangement of his tour schedule to include two weeks competitive play rather than a couple of weeks practice in Florida appeared eminently sensible, and set to pay quick dividends, after the first round of the Perth Classic at The Vines resort yesterday.
The 31-year-old Dubliner had intended to miss the tournament in Western Australia (and Thailand last week), but changed his mind in his quest for precious world ranking points. Yesterday, as the notorious "Freemantle Doctor," a stiff south-westerly whipped in off the bay to add to the test of golf, McGinley fired a three-under-par 69 to trail leader Ian Woosnam by three strokes.
Indeed, Woosnam and McGinley are old adversaries over the Vines course: two years ago, the Welshman edged out the Irishman for this same title. And, while Woosnam defied the 40 degrees heat and a trapped nerve in his left arm, which had limited his preparations prior to the tournament, to shoot 66, McGinley's round left him in confident mood. "My game is in pretty good shape," he said.
"It's far too early to be thinking of what might happen come Sunday, but it was just the start I was looking for," admitted McGinley. "In fact, I felt I could have shot even lower. It was one of those days where I felt I played pretty well but didn't get the score I deserved. Sometimes you score well and don't deserve it. This was the other way round."
McGinley could afford a wry smile at the old adage, "beware the injured golfer". Woosnam has undergone intensive physiotherapy for a trapped arm since his arrival in Perth, but hardly put a foot wrong to establish a one-shot lead over Ryder Cup team-mate JoseMaria Olazabal.
Woosnam had six birdies - including a chip-in from a bunker at the 13th - to grab the initiative. "I probably played as well as I have for a long time, especially with my irons," admitted Woosnam. "The arm twinged a little bit and at the end of the day it was really throbbing, but it didn't stop me playing."
The injury actually flared up over the winter, when he was swinging a club that was too heavy for him. "The treatment before and after playing is working," said Woosnam, "but I hope the physio will clear it up eventually. It is important it does heal, because I want my swing to free up to enable me to get back more consistency, and perhaps go for a major again."
Olazabal, meanwhile, used his driver on just six occasions. "I've been fighting a shot to the left for a number of weeks now," he revealed, adding: "Thankfully, this course doesn't force you to use a driver all the time and I got away with it."
The Spaniard, playing his first tournament in Australia, included five birdies and an eagle in his round to nudge a shot ahead of the third-placed quartet that features Robert Allenby, of Australia, Germany's Thomas Gogele, Scotland's Andrew Coltart (already a winner of the Australian PGA championship and who is chasing victory in order to top the anti-podean tour's moneylist) and England's Martin Gates.
McGinley, though, was the only member of the six-strong Irish contingent to break par in the opening round, and his card could have been even better, as his eagle putt on the last just lipped out. Philip Walton, who missed the cut last week, opened with a level-par 72, while Padraig Harrington (74), Francis Howley (75), Ronan Rafferty (76) and Raymond Burns (77) require improvement in their second rounds to survive the halfway cut.
It was Howley's first competitive round since reclaiming his tour card at the qualifying school in November, although he prepared for the trip to Australia with a twoweek practice period in Florida.
"My confidence will come around with each round I play, so the initial goal over these next few weeks is to just try to make the cut, and get some money behind me that will help in taking a bit of pressure off me. As the season moves along, I might be able to set new targets," said Howley.
