Tracking the Tiger

IT didn’t have the white hot intensity of Sunday’s Firestone shoot-out but Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods still lit up the opening round of the 91st US PGA championship with a sparkling duel at Hazeltine National.

The Dubliner gave the world No 1 fair warning that he is not about to give up the Wanamaker Trophy without a fight when he shot a four under 68 to a five under par 67 by Woods, who snatched the early clubhouse lead from Harrington with Australia’s Robert Allenby a shot further back alongside compatriot Matthew Goggin, American Hunter Mahan and Spain’s Alvaro Quiros on three under.

With 2002 champion Rich Beem (71) an almost anonymous bystander amongst the massive 50,000 strong galleries that thronged the course, Woods and Harrington could have been out for a friendly Sunday threeball as they smiled and joked their way round the longest track in major championship history.