GOLF: Ireland's Graeme McDowell showed he has put the disappointment of a poor final round to lose in Germany two weeks ago behind him by taking a share of the first round lead in The Heritage at Woburn Golf and Country Club. McDowell, paired with Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie, fired a five-under-par 67 to share the lead with Australian Nick O'Hern and Jose Manuel Lara from Spain.
They lead the field by a stroke, while Europe's Ryder Cup stars showed they were still in the process of recharging their batteries after the exertions of last week.
Montgomerie finished eagle, birdie for a 71 along with David Howell, while Padraig Harrington fired a level par 72. But Ian Poulter crashed to a 77.
South Africa's Retief Goosen, winner of this year's US Open and in second spot on the Volvo Order of Merit, shot a 70.
Damien McGrane and Gary Murphy are both on one-under-par 71, while Peter Lawrie is a shot back on level par 72.
England's Nick Dougherty, Raymond Russell from Scotland, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin, Australia's Jarrod Moseley, Sweden's Patrik Sjoland and Welshman Philip Price all carded 68s.
McDowell clearly enjoyed playing with Montgomerie, and one of Europe's assistant captain's, Thomas Bjorn, and moved to the top of the leaderboard with a back nine of six-under-par 32. He carded birdies on the 10th and 11th, made three on the trot from the 14th, and recorded another on the last.
"It was such a relaxed atmosphere starting out today. I was chatting to Colin about the Ryder Cup. The first five or six holes were so relaxed. It was kind of tough to get into my rhythm. We really started to have a good time coming into the last 10 or 11 holes. It was nice to come back after a week a off. I enjoyed myself," said McDowell.
Meanwhile, Dougherty, who was Luke Donald's partner in the 1999 Walker Cup in America, is not afraid to admit that he cried earlier this year as he fell into depression and feared for his future.
Yesterday, at The Heritage event, he was much more specific. "I was pissing it all up against the wall," he said. By that he meant the talent with which he was born, the huge amounts of money he was able to make, plus all the hard work he had put into his game since he found golf at the age of four.
Yesterday, though, he swore that, as the Rolling Stones sang, "It's all over now". Long before it is too late, he swears he has reformed and, as a golfer should be, he is back on the straight and narrow.
A four-under-par 68 over the Duke's course left him one behind the leaders.
Dougherty's was a classic problem, mirrored by many young sportsmen in these days of mega-money and lots of free time: he could not resist a good party.
"The weekend comes along and it's party time. If there's something going on, I don't like to miss it," he confessed.
But for golfers there are two other things going on at weekends - the last rounds of the tournament. So meaningful golf and parties with your mates are wholly and totally incompatible.
Dougherty's talent, when he was awake enough to apply it, was sufficient for him to make £365,000 in his first full year on the Tour in 2002, and another £270,000 in 2003. A 21-year-old can go to a lot of parties on that kind of money, and Dougherty did.
"I slackened off," he said of his golf. "I was living the life of Riley."
Yet, gradually, the realisation dawned that it was not what he really wanted. "I don't just want to be a good European Tour player. I want to win in America, play in the Ryder Cup, win majors.
"Golf had never made me cry before, but it did a couple of times this year. So I started working with a hypnotherapist and that's why I'm sitting here.
"A lot of the stuff is just logical - allow the good golf to happen, believe in it to happen. It's hard to describe, but it completely changed the way I looked at my own game. Playing golf with a clear mind is not a privilege I have had before, but I do now."
