Solid start for Harrington as Jimenez leads

PRE-TOURNAMENT favourite Padraig Harrington, in his first start of the year, had a promising start the Maybank Malaysian Open at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club yesterday with three birdies - at the 12th, 17th and 18th.

But he could not capitalise on that after the turn as he played the next nine holes in regulation.

Leader Miguel Angel Jimenez faces an early start today to complete his first round but that will be only a minor irritation if he can maintain his superb early form.

The Ryder Cup star carved up the course with a birdie blitz which was halted only by the fading light on a day interrupted for nearly three hours by a thunderstorm.

However, the Spaniard is still in a strong position at eight under with the 615-yard par-five 18th to play, leading Thaworn Wiratchant by a stroke after the Thai carded a 65.

“I would have preferred to have finished and have had half an hour extra in bed in the morning - that is the best half an hour always,” said Jimenez.

“I played very well, very solid tee to green and was quite good on the greens. I got going after the break so I am sure I will be okay in the morning.”

The Spaniard, who has won at least once on the European Tour for each of the last three years, enjoyed a superb start with birdies at the first and second before an eagle at the par-five third took him to four under.

His next birdie did not come until the 10th but he then had a run of three in successive holes from the 14th to leave him eight under.

The 39-year-old Wiratchant, the 2005 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, benefited from the sunny early conditions to sink eight birdies for a seven-under-par round.

One stroke further back was a group containing Ireland’s Gary Murphy England’s Richard Finch, Welshman Garry Houston and Italian Francesco Molinari.

Murphy completed the back nine in four under and three birdies and only one bogey after the turn brought him a round of 66.

Finch, 28, bogeyed the par-three 11th - his second hole - but shot five birdies in next seven holes, including four in-a-row to turn in 32.

Back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth in a bogey-free final nine holes saw him close with a 66.

Houston was three under after five holes but although he dropped a shot at the ninth he recovered remarkably with four birdies in a row and finished bogey-birdie for a share of second place.

Another Welshman Stephen Dodd posted a five-under 67, which included seven birdies and two bogeys, for joint sixth spot.

Highlight of the day was Ascot golfer Ross Fisher’s hole in one with a pitching wedge at the 146-yard fourth but he immediately carded a double-bogey seven at the next and finished alongside Harrington at three under after a mixed round which included four birdies and a bogey.