Marc Farry was back making golfing headlines today and, unlike last time, he was perfectly happy about it.
Four years after becoming the first European Tour player to fail a drug test — he was later exonerated because the substance was prescribed by a doctor to combat a wrist injury — the 47-year-old Frenchman is now trying to fight his way back onto the circuit.
An opening six-under-par 66 at the BMW International Open in Munich, for which he qualifies as a previous winner, left Farry only one behind joint leaders Raphael Jacquelin and Jose-Filipe Lima.
World number five Ernie Els is just one further back, but Colin Montgomerie is not even in the country. The Scot pulled out because of sickness before catching a flight from London.
Farry's one Tour victory in a professional career that goes all the way back to 1979 came when the event was reduced by rain to 36 holes 11 years ago.
Victory on Sunday would make him exempt until the end of the 2009 season — by which time he will be eligible for the seniors tour — and even a top 10 finish will bring a smile to his face.
That is because it would qualify him for next week's French Open, an event he was not pleased to miss out on an invitation for last year.
He said: "They gave them to a few American guys so they could go shopping in Paris. I think it was really rude to not only me, but the French players who represented their country for years and played the French Open for years.
"I've played a few events on the Challenge Tour this year, but they are in their low 20s and I'm nearly 50. There's not much conversation. When I want a couple of beers after my round, they all go and jog and train. I don't think I belong there."
Compatriot Jacquelin is trying for his second win this year — and somewhat bizarrely his third winner's cheque. He collected the £141,157 first prize at the Portuguese Open when only amateur Pablo Martin finished ahead of him.
Joint holder of the Eichenried course record with his 62 in 2003 — and winner of a car for a hole-in-one at the 17th two years earlier — Jacquelin came back from an early bogey with six birdies in seven holes and later added two more.
Only level par after eight holes, Els sank a bunker shot for an eagle three on the 18th and his three birdies in four holes on the front nine included driving the green at the 331-yard fifth.
Attack was the name of his game almost as a reaction to last week's brutal US Open, where he managed only 51st place on his return to the Oakmont course where he beat Montgomerie and American Loren Roberts for his first major title back in 1994.
Swede Niclas Fasth, top European in finishing fourth at the weekend, matched Els' 67 and English pair Nick Dougherty and Paul Casey, seventh and 10th respectively, overcame their jet-lag to hand in 68s.
However, defending champion Henrik Stenson could do no better than 73, Bernhard Langer needed treatment on the course for a neck injury as he struggled to a 76 and former Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle crashed to last place with an 82.
Peter Lawrie is best-placed of the Irish on one under. The Dubliner had a mixed bag, carding four birdies and three bogeys, which left him two shots better than David Higgins and three shots ahead of compatriots Paul McGinley, Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane.
