Golf: McGinley makes good start in Akron

Ireland’s Paul McGinley, keen to remove any lingering doubts about his making a Ryder Cup debut next month, shared the early lead at the NEC world championship in Akron today.

McGinley, eighth in the cup table with only one week to go, followed three opening pars with a birdie at the 458-yard fourth to be alongside Americans Jim Furyk and Notah Begay and Paraguay’s Carlos Franco at one under.

It could have been even better for the Dubliner.

At the second, his five-wood second landed on the green, but just failed to climb the slope in front of the flag and instead rolled back off the putting surface, from where he three-putted for par.

And at the 442-yard third McGinley’s approach pitched two feet over the flag, but this time ran on 15 feet rather than stopping.