Frustrated Pádraig snubs reporters

TRIPLE major winner Pádraig Harrington ignored reporters and hastily headed to the practice range last night despite taking a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Sun City Challenge.

The Dubliner rebounded from a bogey at the 17th hole with a birdie at the last to fire a 66 at the Gary Player Country Club and overtake early pacesetter Ross Fisher (67) and world number one Lee Westwood (68).

Harrington was in a spot of difficulty on 18 as his drive found the left semi-rough, but he produced one of the shots of the day to hit his approach shot over some trees and to within four feet of the flag, setting up the seventh birdie of his round.

Despite leading the field, Harrington was clearly unhappy about aspects of his play as he made a dash for the practice range after his round, snubbing the media in the process.

Englishman Fisher had led for most of the day but then pushed his drive on the par-four 17th hole left of the fairway and, with his second blocked by trees, had to chip back on to the fairway. His third shot then flew the green and he was unable to avoid three-putting for double-bogey.

“I may have hit one driver too many on 17, I was between driver and three-wood and I pulled it a bit left,” Fisher said.

Fisher had been in scintillating form with his putter before that, racing to seven-under-par through 16 holes, capitalising on some electrifying drives. World number one Westwood had made a poor start to the day and was one over through six, before a turn in fortune helped him make headway up the leaderboard.

“I struggled to hit the greens in the first five or six holes and you know what it’s like when you get stuck in the fringes,” he said.

“You’re just not sure how it’s going to come out.

“I didn’t give myself any birdie chances and then three-putted six. So it was a slow start, but I picked it up after that.”

And he admitted that he was always confident he would improve as the round progressed.

The 37-year-old added: “I’m playing well at the moment, I’m confident.

“There is no panic in me because I’m confident in my ability, so I just have to be patient and let things happen.”

South African Retief Goosen and Dane Anders Hansen were on level par after 72s, while the 12-man line-up was propped up by Tim Clark’s 73.

Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez was on three-under-par, with defending champion Robert Allenby on two-under alongside Briton Justin Rose. Three-time champion Ernie Els is on one-under.

Els started with nine consecutive pars, made his first birdie on 10, bogeyed 12, made two birdies in a row on 14 and 15 before dropping another shot on 18 to finish one-under in a share of seventh with Edoardo Molinari and Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.

Three-time European Tour winner Miguel Angel Jiménez was alone in fourth at three-under, while defending champion Robert Allenby shared fifth at two-under with Justin Rose.

Nedbank Times second round tee-off times (Irish time):

9.10am Tim Clark (SA), Anders Hansen (Den)

9.22am Retief Goosen (SA), Louis Oosthuizen (SA)

9.34am Ernie Els (SA), Edoardo Molinari (Ita)

9.46am Robert Allenby (Aus), Justin Rose (Eng)

9.58am Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Lee Westwood (Eng)

10.10am Ross Fisher (Eng), Padraig Harrington (Irl).