EVEN with a driver that had started to rattle, Sweden's Johan Edfors set the early pace in the Irish Open at Adare Manor today.
In perfect conditions, the former Scottish Open champion turned in a four-under-par 32 and shared top spot with Spaniard Alvaro Velasco.
Edfors spoke with European Tour chief referee John Paramor about his driver as he began the front nine, but de
cided to continue with it in his bag rather than send it off for some hurried repairs.
The 32-year-old, three times a winner in the 2006 season, had already birdied the tenth, 12th, 16th and 18th – the 548-yard hole that had seen defending champion Padraig Harrington and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell hook into the river with their drives and take bogey sixes.
Harrington had birdied the two previous holes, however, and another on the 444-yard first meant he was in a tie for seventh place.
Joint third on three under were 19-year-old Rory McIlroy, Indian Jeev Milkha Singh, Italian Emanuele Canonica and Australian Richard Green, who had matched Edfors' 32 to the turn, but then bogeyed the first.
Colin Montgomerie, whose slip to 88th on the world rankings this week represents his lowest position since October 1990, birdied the 433-yard 13th, but returned to level par with a bogey on the 480-yard par-four second.
Playing with Harrington and McDowell was Scot Alastair Forsyth, who along with Marc Warren had used the private jet owned by Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood to see Rangers in the UEFA Cup final.
Trying to forget the disappointment of his side's defeat, Forsyth was one under after 11 holes, while Warren had the benefit of an afternoon tee-off time like Clarke and Westwood.
The full article contains 301 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
