Irish pair share lead in Seville

Birdies were the name of the game in the opening round of golf’s World Cup in Seville today – and Ireland soon caught the mood.

With low scoring expected in the fourballs 1997 winners Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley began with four birdies in five holes and in the group behind England's Luke Donald and Paul Casey did exactly the same.

So, more surprisingly, did Austrians Martin Wiegele and Markus Brier to make it a three-way tie at the top and American Scott Verplank’s hat-trick of birdies from the fourth put him and fellow Bob Tway in a share for fourth spot with Holland and New Zealand.

The nine leading Americans in the world rankings had all turned down the event but they were not alone – also missing were South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, world number one Vijay Singh.

Harrington is, in fact, the leading player in the world rankings taking part - he is eighth – and knew it was a golden opportunity for himself and McGinley to take the winner’s cheque.

They would have birdied all the first five holes if McGinley had made a nine-footer on the first, but he made amends on the next, Harrington birdied the third and fourth and then his fellow Dubliner got back in on the act.

The hosts were represented by Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez and their first move came when Garcia birdied the fourth.