Harrington leads chasing pack in Shanghai

Open champion Padraig Harrington was in a group chasing surprise first round pacesetters Niclas Fasth and Kevin Stadler at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Sweden’s Fasth made the early going at the Sheshan International Golf Club and sat in the clubhouse on eight-under-par.

American Stadler produced an equally impressive round as he and Fasth opened up a three-stroke lead over three-time major winner Vijay Singh at the $5m (€3.4m) event which brings together champions and money leaders from tours across the globe.

Singh leapt into third place with back-to-back birdies to finish his five-under-par round, with Harrington, Paul Casey, Ross Fisher, US Open champion Angel Cabrera and world number two Phil Mickelson in a group a further shot adrift.

“I played really well early on and missed a lot of opportunities, then I had a couple of missed fairways and made two bogeys around the turn. If you miss the fairways here, even on some of the shorter holes, it’s difficult to control the ball and get onto to the green,” said Harrington.

“After eight holes I could have been eight-under, but at three-under all of a sudden I dropped two shots and I was kicking myself at one-under.

“But I then holed a couple of putts and got right back to four-under-par. I know there are a couple of eight-unders, but it’s a 72 hole event, so there is plenty of time to catch up.”

Fisher, who won his first title at the KLM Open in Holland earlier this year, signed for just one bogey against five birdies to follow up his 14th place finish at the Volvo Masters last week.

“I am annoyed with the dropped shot, I was in the middle of the fairway but I was in between a cut eight and nine and slightly on a down slope. I went for the eight and went left of the flag and just pulled it slightly, which left a tough two putt. But to birdie the last was quite nice to get it back.”

Ryder Cup ace Casey was also pleased with his opening round, which included six birdies, after ending the European Tour season with a 16-over-par finish at the Volvo Masters last week.

“A round could always be better. The bogey on nine was frustrating and on the first I was lucky the spotters were down the left otherwise I wouldn’t have found my ball. I am happy to be at four under,” he said.

“I don’t know what the winning score is going to be; it is going to be a double figures under par clearly, but I have to slowly plot my way around and if I put in four 68s I will be a very happy man because I don’t think that will be too far away at the end of the week.”

Retief Goosen and England’s Steve Webster sit at three-under-par, while Ian Poulter joins Lee Westwood and Simon Yates at two-under.

Colin Montgomerie managed just two birdies on the back nine to card a one-over-par opening round, while French Open champion Graeme Storm endured a nightmare debut at the event after signing for an opening round seven-over-par 79, which included an eagle three at the 13th.