EUROPEAN AND US TOURS:GRAEME McDOWELL believes Europe's finest could regret the decision to turn down the chance of playing at the Ballantine's Championship after his four-under-par 68 opening round at Pinx Golf Club on Jeju Island.
None of the top 15 players in the continent's order of merit standings are present at the European Tour's inaugural event in South Korea, and McDowell believes they all made an error.
"A lot of the guys headed home to Europe last week - they'll be kicking themselves when they see how good this place is," said the 28-year-old from Portrush.
"I'm obviously happy they're not here. It gives us more of an advantage and it gives me a chance to make a bit of an impact in the order of merit, to keep the momentum going.
"I had no doubts about coming here. I had this targeted early in the schedule. I looked at this one, big purse, and thought it was a natural three weeks - India, Malaysia, Korea."
McDowell is among 10 players on four under, including Paul McGinley and England's Simon Griffiths, one shot adrift of first-round leaders Mikko Ilonen and Tony Carolan, who each shot five-under 67s.
The Ulsterman, who tied for fifth in the Dubai Desert Classic last month and is 25th in the order of merit, made three birdies and two bogeys on his opening nine after starting at the 10th.
Successive birdies on the par-five fourth and the par-three fifth elevated McDowell to three under before a four on the par-five ninth, his last, resulted in a 68 at the dual-sanctioned Asian Tour-European Tour event.
"I'm happy enough," added McDowell. "It's just a really, really nice golf course. It lacks a bit of rough, so you can give it a bit of a lash off the tee, but you've got to be super smart coming into these greens, they're quite quick in places."
Finn Ilonen, who won two European Tour titles last season - the Scandinavian Masters and the Indonesian Open - carded six birdies and a bogey, while Australian Carolan had a bogey-free but eventful round, during which he sacked his local caddie after four holes.
Pádraig Harrington and home favourite KJ Choi are four shots behind after shooting 71s.
The British Open champion reached the turn on one under after opening with a birdie on the 10th, but fell back to level par with a bogey on the par-three second, his 11th.
A birdie on the par-five fourth followed, but successive dropped shots on the sixth and seventh left the Irishman in trouble.
However, the Dubliner salvaged a below-par score with two straight birdies to complete his round.
The 36-year-old played a lob wedge from 72 yards and converted from eight feet, before a four on the par-five ninth, his 18th.
"It's a pretty tough day with the wind," said Harrington. "I'm happy enough with that. I think 71 is a reasonable reflection and a reasonable start."
McGinley had five birdies in halves of 34 for his 68 while Damien McGrane is also well placed after a 71. However, Rory McIlroy is in danger of missing back-to-back cuts after a 76 that included a second nine of 42 while Gary Murphy dropped four shots in a row from the 10th in his 76.
