WGC-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL:RETIEF GOOSEN was the early clubhouse leader at Firestone Country Club as the €2.5 million WGC-Bridgestone Invitational got under way in Akron, Ohio, yesterday.
The South African, in the second group of the day to tee off at the 7,400-yard, par-70 South Course, posted a five-birdie opening round of 66, only spoiled by one bogey.
Open champion Pádraig Harrington, meanwhile, recovered from a shaky start on his return to action following his Royal Birkdale triumph.
After a solid opening four holes from the 10th tee, Harrington carded a double bogey six at the 467-yard 14th hole to go two over par. He grabbed those shots back with successive birdies at the 16th and 17th holes only to bogey the 18th to turn for home in a one-over-par 36.
The rollercoaster continued with an inward nine featuring two bogeys and four birdies for a one-under-par round of 69.
Playing partner Darren Clarke, a winner here in 2003, mixed four birdies with the same number of bogeys to end the day on level par 70.
Paul McGinley, who started on the 10th, will have been disappointed with his 70, after finishing bogey-bogey. McGinley had began his back nine in storming fashion, going birdie-eagle-par-birdie to go two under.
Vijay Singh had a chance to join Goosen in the clubhouse on five under but he undid a bogey-free round that left him five under after 17 holes when he double-bogeyed the 18th to finish at three under with an opening 67.
Also in the clubhouse on three-under were Goosen's compatriot Tim Clark and Sweden's Daniel Chopra, while another Swede, Freddie Jacobson, and American Sean O'Hair were also on three under out on the course.
Royal Birkdale runner-up Ian Poulter also returned to action following the best major finish of his career to continue his bid for an automatic Ryder Cup team place.
With five events to go and lying just outside the qualifying places in both the world points list and the European points table, Poulter is hoping to secure his place within the next 14 days at the Bridgestone and next week's final major of the year, the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
The Englishman took a positive step towards his goal with a birdie at the par-three 15th, his sixth hole of the opening round. A bogey five at the 400-yard 17th gave Poulter an even-par 35 on the opening nine before he got back on track with a birdie at the 526-yard second hole to leave him one under after 14 holes.
A bogey at the ninth, his final hole of the day, left him with an even-par 70. Poulter, though, was sticking to his new mantra that tournaments are never won until the back nine holes on a Sunday.
"It was a shame to bogey the last, I hit the seven-iron very heavy but I'm still alive, it's all good.
"I would have liked to have been one under par but it's fine. It's a big golf tournament, it's a tough field, so just play steady, take some opportunities and get yourself into the position. It's Thursday."
Had it not been for season-ending knee surgery last month, world number one Tiger Woods would have been bidding for a fourth Bridgestone title in a row and seventh overall.
Stewart Cink, one of the pre-tournament favourites and one of only four golfers to have broken Woods' stranglehold on this event in its 10-year history, started brightly from the 10th tee with birdies at the 11th and 15th holes only to bogey 16 and the 1st.
The American got himself onto the leaderboard again with two birdies to leave him at two under alongside rounds of 68 from last weekend's Canadian Open winner Chez Reavie, Rocco Mediate, Chad Campbell and Scott Strange.
