Lancome Trophy is child's play for Goosen

Retief Goosen ignored the distractions of fatherhood to make golf look like child’s play again in the final Lancome Trophy.

Goosen has yet to win a tournament so far this season and is resigned to losing his status as European number one after two years.

But the South African is on track to maintain his record of at least one victory a year since 1999 after a first round 63 gave him a one-shot lead over Swede Mikael Lundberg at St Nom-la-Breteche on the outskirts of Paris.

“I’ve been pretty consistent with a lot of top 10s and played well in America, but Europe has been disappointing, I’ve not played well enough in the big tournaments,” admitted Goosen, who is 19th in the Order of Merit, more than a million pounds behind compatriot Ernie Els.

“But it’s been a great year with the birth of Leo, our first child six months ago, and my mind has been somewhere else.

“It takes your concentration away a bit from the golf course, all the changing nappies and sleepless nights. Travelling becomes a lot more difficult and carrying him around I get a stiff back.

“I’m looking forward to the next few weeks and hopefully I can at least get a win under my belt. I’m not really expecting to win the Order of Merit again, I’d have to win here and two of the next three events – but I’ll try my best and see if I can keep my run going.”

Three of Goosen’s eight European Tour victories have come in France – “It must be the red wine” – including this title in 2000 and a runners-up finish the following year, but the 34th edition of the tournament will be the last.

“I don’t know what it is about this course, the first few times I played it pretty badly and never did anything,” added Goosen, the 2001 US Open champion. “But since 2000 I’ve started to see the shots better around the course and really had some success.

“I don’t know what will happen next year, whether it will still be held here or if there will be a new sponsor, but Barry Lane tells me there are a few other good courses around Paris.”

Goosen carded eight birdies and an eagle and would have equalled the course record of 62 but for his second bogey of the day on the ninth, his final hole, when his ball span sideways off the green into a bunker.

“I had no idea about the course record but I wanted to shoot the lowest score I could and it was a shame about the last,” added Goosen.

“It was close to being a silly pin position because it all slopes away from the hole and Padraig (Harrington) hit a really good shot right over the pin and also ended up in the bunker.

“But overall I am very happy with the round, it’s a good start to the week and hopefully I can build on that.”

Staffordshire’s Simon Wakefield was the leading British player on six under par after heeding his fiance’s instruction to “buck his ideas up.”

“We were house hunting in Trentham on Monday and saw one we liked so she said I’d better buck my ideas up to earn enough money!” said Wakefield, who carded seven birdies and one bogey.

“I’ve just treated myself to a new BMW as well as a reward for playing well. I think I’ve done enough to keep my card for next year, which was the main goal, but I’d like to get to 200,000 euro to make sure.”

Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley was a shot further back on five under alongside two players who recorded holes-in-one.

Spain’s Carlos Rodiles aced the 148-yard seventh with an eight-iron to win a £650 scooter, while the unfortunate Terry Price holed out from 193 yards with a four-iron on the 12th just 15 minutes later to miss out on the prize.

Padraig Harrington, another player getting used to fatherhood after the birth of his son Patrick three weeks ago, carded a three-under 68, the same score as Colin Montgomerie after the Scot bogeyed the last after finding water off the tee on the closing par three.

“I don’t know what happened there,” said a bemused Montgomerie. “I don’t think I’ve been in the water there in all the years I’ve been coming here, I normally go left and went right today.

“It was a terrible shot. I wanted to finish four-under and got there with two good putts on 16 and 17 but gave it away on the last. But that’s okay, it’s early days and I putted better which is the key.”

Montgomerie has reverted to the Callaway irons he used to win the majority of his seven Order of Merit titles – despite expecting Callaway to cancel his multi-million pound contract with suppliers Hogan.

The 40-year-old switched from Callaway to Hogan in a lucrative long-term deal at the end of last year, only to see Callaway buy Hogan last week.

“It’s up in the air and in the hands of the lawyers,” added Montgomerie, who is still using the Hogan ball as that was the main reason behind the switch.

“I don’t know what is going to happen.

“But it could be a golden opportunity for me to do what I want to do. Most professionals would love to play the clubs they want rather than the ones they have to.”

Lee Westwood had to settle for a one under par 70 on his return to action following his emotional victory in the BMW International Open, while Open champion Ben Curtis went one better with a 69.