Harrington shoots 66 and has eyes on Rio

Pádraig Harrington muscled his way towards ending a six-year winless drought and then revealed he has set himself a goal of representing Ireland in the 2016 Olympics.

In fact, Harrington let slip a share of the opening round Alfred Dunhill Links lead when he bogeyed his closing two holes in a round of a six under par 66 at Carnoustie that left him tied in third place with fellow Irishman Shane Lowry, who was competing at Kingsbarns.

And while the triple Major winner teed-up ranked 324th in the world, Harrington broke with tradition revealing his Rio de Janeiro quest where golf will return to the Olympics for a first time since 1924.

“I’ve got 21 months of results counting towards achieving that goal so I am starting at ‘ground zero’ and working my way up to becoming an Olympic athlete,” he said.

“That would be very special because I know if I do get back into the top-15 I would have done other good things between now and then.”

However a more pressing concern for Harrington was his golf shoes that he’d left in his Old Course Hotel room at St. Andrews, and bizarrely it was Golden Globe winning actor, Bill Murray, who was playing in the group behind Harrington, who came to his rescue.

“I was just about to get in my car and we got this emergency call that Mr Harrington has forgotten his golf shoes, so we went up and broke into the room, and I got to try on some of his clothes and then I grabbed his shoes,” said Murray smiling.

World No. 1 Rory McIlroy struggled in shooting a 73 but delighted a black labrador during a delay on the 18th tee in allowing the dog to play with his new ‘Big Dog’ head cover.

England’s Oliver Wilson heads the event with a course record equaling 64 at Carnoustie.

Meanwhile, Robert Giles, a 44 year-old native of Yorkshire, who spent four years as an assistant at Killarney before moving on to Greenore, Co Louth as head professional, has taken a one stroke lead after yesterday’s opening round of the Irish PGA Championship at Adare Manor.

Giles shot a blemish free three under par 66 round the Co Limerick course to take a one stroke lead over Kerryman Graeme Dunlea, an assistant at the neighbouring Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort; Brendan McGovern (Headfort), Peter Jones (Coollattin) and Michael McDermott (Pure Golf, Leopardstown).

Limerickman Michael Quinlivan and Monkstown professional Cian McNamara were the only others to break the par of 69 on a day when strengthening winds late in the afternoon added to the difficulty of the short but very tight Adare lay-out.

John McHenry, the former Walker Cup star and regular European Tour player, made a welcome return to the tournament scene and finished on 71. Hazel Kavanagh, who created history earlier in the year when she won the Irish Club Championship at Arklow to become the first female winner on the Irish PGA Region, played splendidly for a round of 71.