Padraig Harrington kept his thin hopes of making the European Ryder Cup team alive by firing a fine, six-under-par 66 to lie in joint second after yesterday's first round in Munich, the final qualifying tournament.

But the Dubliner, along with the rest of the field, were left in the shadows by the young Welsh star David Park, who went to the top of the leaderboard with a course record equalling 62, 10 under par.

Park's 11-birdie run was the lowest tournament round of his life and gave him a four-shot lead over Harrington, Spaniard Domingo Hospital and Swede Dennis Edlund.

Harrington, second in the West of Ireland Classic last week, birdied the last three holes to give himself exactly the same start as he made two years ago, when he was also chasing a cup debut.

On that occasion the 27-year-old Dubliner had to finish fifth and ended up ninth. Now he needs third place at worst, but is trying to win as Karlsson would then have to be second to deny him.

"I give it 100 per cent every week and so I'm trying no harder this week," said Harrington. "I don't think there's a chance of a wild card - I would certainly not expect one."

He is wrong to completely rule that out, however.

Captain Mark James said yesterday that despite the presence already of five rookies "I'm not worried about the number.

"I purely judge them by how I think they will perform under pressure. That's my job really, I think."

Park, the 25-year-old from Hereford burst onto the European tour dramatically in June by finishing second and first in his two starts.

The former Walker Cup amateur, who until then had been playing on the Challenge Tour, could finish 11th on the Ryder Cup table, and while he would not expect a call-up from James it would confirm him as one of the circuit's up-and-coming stars.

"It's difficult to describe the last few months," said Park. "I've shot 60 in practice at home, but I think 65 was my lowest in tournaments until this."

He covered both halves in 31 and never looked back from the moment he completely topped his second shot on the long 11th - his second - and then pitched to six feet.

James is still refusing to clear up the situation regarding his position about whether he will play in Brookline if he qualifies.

Fifteenth in the table, a top three finish could elevate him into the leading 10 and he continues to say that only when that is confirmed will he say if he is to stand down as captain. Sam Torrance would be expected to take over and that possibility remained alive as James reached four under after 11 holes.

But then came three putts on one green and four on the next and he had to settle for a 70.

Nick Faldo equalled his lowest round of the year as he began his last-ditch bid to save his Ryder Cup career. Yet there was still some bad news for him.

Faldo, hoping a victory might persuade James to pick him now that he has no chance of making an automatic top 10 spot, shot a five-underpar 67.

But James repeated that he was unlikely to go beyond the top 20 in the final points table for his two selections - and the highest Faldo can now finish even if he wins on Sunday is 22nd.

Faldo, down to 192nd in the world after a barren two years in America and Europe, has made it crystal clear how much he wants to extend his record number of caps to 12 in Boston next month.

James said: "I've never questioned Nick's hunger, commitment or ability to play under pressure or how much he wants to play.

"But I don't think Nick's alone in that respect.

"I think Woosie (Ian Woosnam) and (Bernhard) Langer and a number of players are in the same situation of wanting to play in the Ryder Cup very badly.

"My selections are not cast in stone. I said before it's unlikely I would go outside the top 20, but I didn't discount it."

With world number 16 Jesper Parnevik surely assured of one wild card, Langer appears to hold the key for Faldo. A top three finish this weekend could take the 41-year-old German, ranked 42nd in the world and 14th in the points race against Faldo's 51st, into the top 10.

That is still a long way from happening, however. Langer opened with a three-under 69, but Swede Robert Karlsson, the man in 10th spot and over £47,000 ahead of him, is only one further behind.

The only two of those already in the team playing this week, European number one Colin Montgomerie and British Open champion Paul Lawrie, returned 69s.

Montgomerie, who said earlier in the year that "a team without Faldo would be a weaker team", now appears to agree with the consensus view of the situation as it stands.

Asked for his view on the possible two wild cards Montgomerie said: "Langer and Parnevik springs to mind."

Carnoustie runner-up Jean Van de Velde, virtually guaranteed a debut, eagled the 568-yard last for a 68.