Harrington provides mixed bag at Travelers

Pádraig Harrington was under par but a little off the pace at the Travelers Championship as he returned to action last night following his US Open fourth-place finish.

Just four days after his impressive US Open performance at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, the three-time major champion shot an opening one-under-par 69 featuring four birdies, a bogey and a double bogey at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut that left him just five shots back on early leader David Mathis. American Mathis had aced the par-three 11th in his sparkling opening round of 64, which included six birdies.

* Paul McGinley, the 2002 Ryder Cup hero, kept up his recent run of good form by finishing the day joint third with Englishmen Chris Wood and Danny Willett on the opening day of the BMW International Open in Cologne.