Reuters – Europe's race for the Order of Merit provided some dramatic twists and turns as Ireland's Padraig Harrington and an ailing Justin Rose of England stood toe-to-toe in a windy opening round of the 20th Volvo Masters at Valderrama.
Currently lying second and third respectively behind Ernie Els of South Africa in the contest to land the Harry Vardon Trophy, Harrington and Rose ended a difficult day well in contention on 71 and 70 respectively.
Rose’s one under par round leaves him level with Australian Peter O’Malley in third place behind a pair of Irishmen from either side of the border. Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell holds the lead on 68, three under par, with Dubliner Paul McGinley second on 69.
It was a case of the hare and the tortoise as Rose, despite suffering a serious stomach upset, came out of the blocks with a hole-in-one on the short third and stood six strokes ahead of rival Harrington by the sixth as he added a birdie at the fifth to his score.
Five shots adrift at the turn, however, Harrington struck back with a more controlled and spectacular back nine than Rose, collecting five birdies and dropping only one more shot as he repaired the damage of an outward 39.
The 27 year old Englishman was delighted to combat his illness and stay ahead of rival Harrington. "I would have been ecstatic with my score if I was in tip-top condition,” he said.
"I didn't have much sleep, I threw up just before my round and every bone in my body aches. I feel like I've played 72 holes or gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson. Hopefully it's just a 24 hour bug."
Rose's six iron shot that sent his ball into the hole from 181 yards at the third, helped lift his round. He said. "It got my adrenalin going and obviously enabled me to dig a bit deeper."
Rose, paid tribute to Harrington's courage in fighting back and the Irishman was happy that he had drawn almost level with his opponent in the end. The Irishman, who suffered a one shot penalty when his ball moved two feet in the wind at address on the seventh, took note of his playing-partner Rose's performance to hit back.
"You have to tell yourself you're going to turn it around," he told reporters. "I thought I'd have to do that over 54 holes and I didn't think I'd do it in nine holes. I think Justin helped me. He showed me it was possible to do it. If he'd been four over we might have spiralled into oblivion."
Harrington's habit of addressing the ball before going through his putting drill, cost him the shot he is adrift. He added: "I thought about it a while ago that some day it's going to cost me a shot."
McDowell set the early target in strong winds, his three under par 68 being more than he anticipated going out as the winds whipped across the manicured Valderrama acres.
"I joked this morning that I'd probably take three over and stay in the clubhouse," McDowell commented. "But I committed myself to positive shots, that's what you have to do here."
McDowell is disappointed with his current 50th position on The European Tour Order of Merit, but with huge Ryder Cup points on offer this week, is looking for a big finish to the season.
He forecast that level-par would be good enough to win this week if the winds stayed. "It's going to be a really tough grind because the course is brutal in a wind like this and there are double-bogeys waiting round every corner," McDowell added.
McGinley is playing on invitation as a past champion, a poor season leaving him out of the elite top 60 who qualified for the event.
After shooting his 69 – which included a birdie two at the 15th and an eagle two thanks to a full nine iron second at the 16th – McGinley spelled out his reasons for resigning as Nick Faldo's Ryder Cup vice-captain a few weeks ago.
"I've fallen like a stone in the World Ranking and the longer I went on doing it (being vice-captain), it was a drain on my energy."
Faldo's suggestion that he should visit the 2008 hosting course Valhalla also made McGinley think again about his position, he said.
"I was asked to go to Valhalla to see hotels, that would have meant missing two tournaments on Tour. I felt I couldn't do that."
McGinley has not turned his back on the job completely, though. "I don't feel ready for it yet but never say never," he added. "But up to the 31st of August next year, the door's closed as far as I'm concerned."
McGinley took advantage of an invitation to Valderrama as a past Volvo Masters champion in a bid to rescue a poor season that left him 14 places short of qualifying for the season-closing tournament.
Earnings this week for past champions do not count on the Order of Merit but they do offer Ryder Cup points for the 2008 clash at Valhalla so McGinley could be in for a windfall.
"I was tottering along and then went 2-2 and all of a sudden it's a brilliant day," said McGinley, who holed out with a nine-iron from 155 yards for his eagle. "It has been a frustrating season, week after week finishing 20th, 30th , 40th," he said.
"When I was told past champions would be invited in July I didn't think I'd need the invitation, but as the season went on it was a good job I did get the invite. Two twos don't make a summer, though," McGinley added.
Veteran Sandy Lyle, 49, ran up a sextuple-bogey ten at the fifth on his way to an 84 after missing the ball five times when trying to hit from under a tree left-handed.
"I never was any good playing left-handed shots," right-handed Lyle said sheepishly, "but I decided to be a pain to myself and had five whiffs at it."
