Harrington and Hansen lead way at Wentworth

Padraig Harrington celebrated his return to the European Tour’s flagship event by taking a share of the early lead at Wentworth today.

Like Ian Poulter, Harrington last played the BMW PGA Championship three years ago, but now the West Course greens have been improved both are back.

While Poulter managed only a two-over-par 37 to the turn – his second shot of the day went into the trees and brought the first of three bogeys – Harrington was out in a superb 32.

The Dubliner, without a Tour victory since capturing his third major title at the 2008 US PGA, birdied the third, fourth and sixth to be alongside playing partner and Ryder Cup team-mate Soren Hansen.

The 36-year-old Dane was turning his attention back to golf after being fined eight million Danish kroner – €1m – in Copenhagen City Court yesterday for tax evasion from 2002 to 2006.

Hansen, who had claimed residency in Monaco during the period and could yet appeal, also has to pay back more than €1m the court ruled he had neglected to pay.

First prize this week would obviously help – it is over £637,000 (€737,000) – and Hansen, no relation to double Wentworth winner Anders, matched Harrington shot for shot on the front nine.

They were then joined on three under by England’s Danny Willett and also South African Ernie Els, whose changes to the course have been such a subject of debate this week.

Most controversial is the introduction of water in front of the green at the par-five 18th, but with that still to come Els, seven times the winner of the World Match Play on the course, had a hat-trick of birdies from the eighth.

One stroke behind were Wentworth’s own Ross Fisher, runner-up to Paul Casey after a dazzling closing 64 last May, Essex’s Oliver Fisher, Welshman Rhys Davies, Swede Peter Hedblom and Anders Hansen.

Davies, making his debut in the event after winning the Hassan Trophy in Morocco two months ago, birdied the third, but hit back with birdies on the fourth, seventh and eighth.