Golf:Pádraig Harrington opened with a three under par 69 to get within two shots of the early lead on the opening day of the Houston Open at Redstone Golf Club where defending champion Paul Casey was forced to withdraw.
Harrington, playing in the final tournament ahead of next week’s Masters at Augusta made a strong start with a couple of birdies on the front nine – fourth and eighth – to turn in two under.
The Dubliner’s back nine was bookended with bogeys at 10 and 18 but the three-time major winner also enjoyed three birdies on the spin from the 14th.
Rory McIlroy was one of the later starters and reached the turn in one over after starting his round at the 10th. His closing nine didn't get any better as further shots were dropped with a bogey at the second, his 11th, before running up a double bogey seven two holes later. The 20-year-old immediately picked up a birdie at the fifth to be three over with four to play.
American Kevin Stadler holds the early lead following a five under 67 and leads by one from Vaughan Taylor, James O'Driscoll and Kevin SUtherland in the all-American leaderboard.
Casey suffered a blow to his Masters build-up when he was unable to defend his title.
Due to partner Phil Mickelson in the opening two rounds, the English world number six tweaked a muscle in his back near his left shoulder and withdrew just before his scheduled tee-time earlier today.
Casey said it was not related at all to the torn chest muscle which kept him out of action late last season and hoped it was a just a "sleeping wrong" problem which would quickly respond to treatment.
Casey spoke earlier in the week of feeling ready to become the first Englishman to lift a major title since Nick Faldo at the 1996 Masters.
"I'm older, greyer and yeah, I feel like the next eight to 10 years, that's my big opportunity," he said.
"I think there have been certain things in the past which were maybe weaknesses in the game, like an acceptance of everything that will go with becoming a major champion.
"Sometimes something like that seems fairly trivial, but that will hold you back as a player."
As least he will not now have the same tiredness at Augusta which he suffered from following his victory in Houston last year.
"I will admit that I think it took a little bit of steam out of me for the following week last year," he stated.
"If you don't have everything in place going into a major then you're going to be found out.
"I think if you look at my results after winning tournaments I have struggled slightly. After winning in Abu Dhabi I've missed the cut a couple of times in Qatar."