'Brain dead' Goosen a live contender

US Open champion Retief Goosen claimed he was "brain dead" for the first few holes at The K-Club yesterday.

But he concealed his fragile state of mind as he cracked a four iron, into the strong wind at the difficult 449 yards opening hole, to within four feet and sank the putt for a birdie.

It was the ideal start the hero of Shinnecock Hills wanted over another extremely difficult golf course on the opening day of the €3.3m Smurfit European Open. Only 22 players beat the par of 72 over the new South (or Smurfit) lay-out with just eight managing to break 70.

Maybe it was just as well tournament director Andy McFee set up the course in as sympathetic a fashion as possible with the pins for the most part in the centre of greens which were kept to a reasonable 10.5 on the stimpmeter. The tees were moved forward at three holes - as much as fifty yards being trimmed from the formidable par five 7th.

At the end of a very windy and showery day, England's Paul Broadhurst, Dutchman Maarten Lafeber and the Australian left hander Nick O'Hern shared the lead on five under par 67, two clear of a group of five that includes Goosen and Lee Westwood, who again demonstrated his liking for the Straffan venue - even if his two victories in the event were achieved on the neighbouring North (or Palmer) Course.

As always, Goosen went about his business quietly and efficiently, keeping mistakes to a minimum. In spite of his "brain dead" claim, he was again nicely in tune with his game and commented: "We've put ourselves in position after round one and let's see if we can keep it up. Three more 69s? Yes, you'd win by quite a few! I started seeing things more distinctly after the first few holes. It wasn't easy to pick the right club. If you hit the wrong shape, you can end up a long way from the holes and because these greens are so big, if you hit the wrong side, you're in trouble. Overall I'm happy. Hopefully, I can keep it up. It looks like it's going to be like this for the week. Luckily, we only got wet once today."

Whereas there appeared to be something a little rushed about his playing partners, Paul McGinley (70) and Phillip Price (75), Goosen was as laid back as ever. His delightful, natural swing was seen to its best effect at holes like the 1st and the 7th which he also birdied with a superb five iron second to 25 feet, and on the way home at the 15th and 16th where he thrilled the decent sized gallery with beautiful approach shots to within a couple of yards of the target. He did make mistakes, most notably when driving into the rough at the 6th and by three putting the 9th. However, they were kept to a minimum and that's one good reason why the wise money must now be on him.

No doubt, the co-leaders wouldn't necessarily agree with that. O'Hern, 33, finished joint runner-up last week in France but has yet to triumph on the European Tour. "I feel I'm good enough to win, I am able to stay patient and I much prefer tougher conditions. When 25 under wins, it doesn't suit me. I kind of work my way around golf courses and this is ideal for me. When the wind blows, I love it because you have to manufacture a lot of shots."

Lafeber came through the Open Championship qualifier on Monday and yesterday hit 15 greens in regulation on the way to a 67.

It can be assumed that most if not all of the 156 players in the field went into the championship fearing the worst. There was a time, for instance, when Colin Montgomerie would have looked down his nose at an even par round. Not so yesterday.

"I would have taken 72 before the start", he admitted. "You can't win anything on the first day, only lose it, so you have to hang in there and that's what I did. I holed a good putt at the last for a par and I am actually putting a bit better. Qualifying for the Open on Monday was important for me. I've worked out a few technical things which means I'm now working technically as opposed to mentally and that is a real delight. I am landing the ball on the fairway more often, my irons are still okay and I am putting better. Anyone who scores under par today has had a good day. Monday was a huge mental boost. This game is played 99% in the head and that was a big day for me. I enjoyed them, I enjoyed today. It all gives me something to build on. Other reasons? A number. I've told you a few, but I will keep a number to myself."

Lee Westwood played with Monty and he, too, was feeling good in himself, having shot 69 in a Shinnecock-like performance. "I was still in the same mindset, grinding away and not short-siding myself too often. When the conditions are as severe as this and the course has not been designed for lots of wind, it's going to be a testing time. I would certainly have taken 69 at the start of the day. I have no problem with people hitting it 25-30 yards off line and being in thick rough. To reward the accurate player, you have to penalise the inaccurate player."

Remarkably, four players retired yesterday in good time to enjoy a relaxed lunch! Pierre Fulke (four over after seven), Jamie Spence (six over after eight) and Jean-Francois Lucquin (three over after three) all departed citing injury but it was a little less clear where Thomas Bjorn was concerned.

"I am out of sorts at the moment and feel uncomfortable on the golf course. I am going home to sort out my game as there are some enormously important events on the horizon."