PADRAIG HARRINGTON and David Higgins demonstrated their determination to make their mark in the Madeira Island Open with par beating performances in yesterday's first round.

Both European Tour newcomers shot 71s at a chilly Santo da Serra, while John McHenry added to the general contentment in the Irish camp by mastering the treacherous' greens for a 70. He lies just two shots behind the joint leaders Ross McFarlane and Paul Lyons.

Des Smyth improvised cleverly, to overcome an ankle ligament in a jury and shot 73 while Jimmy Heggarty (75) and Francis Howley (78) were the worst of the Irish on a day when two Scandinavians and England's David Williams holed in one.

Williams did so at the eighth, Norwegian Per Haugsrud at the 13th and Sweden's Klas Eriksson at the 17th, all without special reward. Harrington was able to celebrate his best opening round so far because he wisely concentrated on trying to keep his ball in play.

He hit 15 greens in regulation and his only mistake was to overshoot the 14th and take three to get down. He turned from the 10th in 37 but swiftly collected the birdie four on offer at the downwind second where he was home with a four iron. He then chipped in from 20 feet for his second birdie at the next.

Higgins made only one mistake, missing a par putt of 18 inches at the uphill 16th where his chip from the edge of the green was a shade too strong and put him above the hole. Higgins took a bogey six there but turned in par, having struck his three iron tee shot at the 13th over a ravine to within four feet of the flag.

McHenry also began at the 10th, but lost the benefit of early birdies at the 11th and 12th by failing to hit the 15th green. He then three putted the next But he rallied on the inward nine and followed a birdie bogey exchange at the second and fourth by holing from 12 feet and sinking a chip at the next two.