PADRAIG HARRINGTON could be about to take Madrid by storm for the second year running after scoring a six under par 66 in the first round of the Peugeot Spanish Open at La Moraleja II yesterday.
The Dubliner began his defence of the title against the combined attack of Greg Norman, Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros with a scintillating performance in the warm sunshine. But German Alexander Cejka was also at his effervescent best on his return to the European scene, and an inward 30, for a matching 66, also gave him room at the top.
Harrington and Cejka, both warmly fancied to win Ryder Cup debuts this September, have a one shot advantage over Mark James and English club professional Gary Emerson.
Norman and Olazabal both had 69, while Ballesteros, who has been hard at work with American coach Butch Harmon for the last week, had 70.
However, it was a bitterly disappointing day for Darren Clarke who took 76 in company with Norman and Olazabal, and was comprehensively outplayed.
David Higgins, out late and having to play on well used greens, had 70, while Paul McGinley took 72, one better than Des Smyth. Raymond Burns was round in 74.
Harrington has hardly put a foot wrong since he set foot in the Spanish capital. On Tuesday he combined with Lee Westwood to win the Canon Shoot Out, pocketing £2,300. Then on Wednesday he was second in the pro-am.
Yesterday he turned his attention to more serious matters, and six birdies in the first to holes showed that his three week break, after his 10 tournament marathon effort at the start of 1997, had been of the greatest benefit. He hit the ball long and straight with a new driver, his irons were crisp, and his putting assured.
His only blemish was to miss the green at the short 13th, where he failed to get his recovery chip close, and took two pulls from 10 feet. But he responded with a seventh birdie at the long 16th, where he laid up short of the lake, then pitched to eight feet, and finished with two pars, getting up and down from behind the last green.
"I don't know why I play well in Madrid," he commented. "I am sure it is not because I am defending champion, and I am sure it is not because I am in Spain. I just went out to do as well as I can, and I came in with a good score."
Harrington is also trying hard not to think about the quality of the rest of the field, which apart from the principals includes 18 of Europe's leading 20 Ryder Cup contenders. "It does not pay to think about the records of rivals you are trying to beat," he said.
For the first three holes of his outing with Norman and Olazabal, in which they started at the 10th, Clarke looked more than capable of holding his own, despite missing birdie chances from eight and 15 feet on the first two greens.
The big Ulsterman then hit much the best tee shot to the short 13th, only to see Norman hole from 30 feet and Olazabal from 25 feet for twos, whereas he failed to touch the cup from only 10 feet.
His only birdie came at the long sixth where he was down from four yards for his four.
"When I hit good irons shots close to the flag, and then cannot hole the birdie putts, I cannot compete," said Clarke. "I am missing far too many putts from short range to do that."
