Rory on fire but Harry is rooting for Maybin

THREE-time Major winner Pádraig Harrington revealed more delight in the efforts of Gareth Maybin than co-leader Rory McIlroy on the opening round of the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Harrington bogeyed the closing hole of the suburban Fanling course for a one-over-par 71 to end day one seven strokes adrift of the trio of McIlroy, Spain’s Alvaro Quiros and England’s David Horsey, who was a teammate to McIlroy in the 2007 GB&I Walker Cup side at Royal Co Down.

McIlroy had been out in the morning half of the draw when the decidedly cooler and windy conditions were at their toughest to record a six-under-par 66.