GOLF:IT WAS a dream day for Sweden's Johan Edfors in Bahrain yesterday. The 35-year-old leads the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions by two after an eight-under-par opening round of 64.

Compatriot Peter Hanson, his Ryder Cup team-mate Francesco Molinari, England’s Graeme Storm and Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal share second place.

Sergio Garcia is just one further back after a bogey-free start to his season and Paul Casey – the highest-ranked player in the field at ninth in the world – also shot 67.

A week after his disqualification in Abu Dhabi, Pádraig Harrington said he “struggled big time” for a 70, while Ian Poulter is in danger of a second successive missed cut following a 72, the same score as course designer Colin Montgomerie.

Edfors, married last month, won three times in 2006, but has failed to add to his tally in more than 100 European Tour events since then.

However, he took advantage of the calmer early conditions with nine birdies, his only mistake coming on the short 16th.

After establishing the record mark for the new Tour venue, he said: “My iron play was really superb and I had a bunch of chances from around 15 feet.”

The undulating greens have come in for lots of comments, but Tour officials by and large went easy on the players with the pin positions and the speed of the surfaces.

Garcia commented: “It’s a shame it’s so hilly because you can’t get them faster, but it was definitely a positive start to the year for me.”

The former world number two has slumped to 80th in the rankings and nobody should get carried away by his round, least of all him.

Twelve months ago he opened 66-67 in Abu Dhabi and did not have a top-three finish all year.

Harrington, meanwhile, commented: “I just struggled to focus, but limited the damage as much as I could.”

An inadvertent ball-moving incident spotted by a television viewer led to his downfall last week after he had signed for a 65, and the three-time major winner admitted it was on his mind on his return to action.

“Most players are sympathetic to my plight and would like to see the rule changed, but that’s not going to be so easy,” Harrington said.

“There have been a few little jokes about it as well, which is nice because at the end of the day it’s not that serious a thing.”

Casey matched the front-nine 31 by Edfors thanks to a closing eagle, and he stated: “The 258-yard five-wood was the best swing I made all day.

“There were times when I wasn’t sure I would shoot under par, so it was just a wonderful way to finish.”

Montgomerie came to grief with a triple-bogey seven at the 408-yard fifth and, with only the top 60 and ties going through to the weekend, he and Poulter will probably have to improve by at least two strokes tomorrow to survive.

Storm missed by one – like Poulter – in Abu Dhabi, and said: “I’ve done a lot of gym work trying to get the body in the right shape to get the swing in the right place.

“When the EGU (English Golf Union) said you need to get fit I just laughed at them, but I wish I’d listened – I wouldn’t be having the shoulder problem I’ve had because I’d be more flexible. The Tour physio guys are probably sick of the sight of me and I’ve only been out for a week.”

VOLVO GOLF CHAMPIONS

Royal Golf Club, Kingdom of Bahrain

64 – Johan Edfors (Swe).

66 – Francesco Molinari (Ita), Peter Hanson (Swe), Graeme Storm, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa).

67 – Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), James Kingston (Rsa), Alexander Noren (Swe), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Paul Casey, Matteo Manassero (Ita), Richard Green (Aus), Alvaro Quiros (Spa).

68 – Christian Nilsson (Swe), Steve Webster, Anders Hansen (Den), Scott Strange (Aus), Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Peter Lawrie, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Brett Rumford (Aus), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Paul Lawrie, Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Edoardo Molinari (Ita).

69 – Seung-yul Noh (Kor), David Horsey, Andrew Dodt (Aus), Darren Clarke, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Paul Broadhurst, Anthony Wall, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa), Mark Foster.

70 – Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Todd Hamilton (US), John Bickerton, Peter Hedblom (Swe), Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Danny Lee (Nzl), Stephen Gallacher, Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Bradley Dredge, Pádraig Harrington.

71 – Gary Orr, Soren Hansen (Den), Oliver Wilson, Kenneth Ferrie, Anthony Kang (US), Markus Brier (Aut), Martin Wiegele (Aut), Christian Cevaer (Fra), Jeppe Huldahl (Den), Nick Dougherty, Rhys Davies, Mark Brown (Nzl), James Morrison, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Richard Finch, David Dixon.

72 – Richie Ramsay, John Parry, David Howell, Colin Montgomerie, Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Ian Poulter, Oskar Henningsson (Swe), Pablo Martin (Spa), Michael Hoey, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe).

73 – Phillip Price, Robert Rock, Stephen Dodd, Andrew Marshall, Niclas Fasth (Swe), Richard Sterne (Rsa), Thomas Levet (Fra), Gregory Havret (Fra).

74 – Marc Warren, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa), Barry Lane.

75 – Damien McGrane, Hennie Otto (Rsa), Michael Campbell (Nzl), Thomas Bjorn (Den), Michael Jonzon (Swe), Tano Goya (Arg), Simon Dyson.

76 – Marcel Siem (Ger).

77 – David Lynn.

80 – Oliver Fisher.

84 – Nasser Yacoob Saleh (Brn).