KOREA CHAMPIONSHIP: Padraig Harrington was just one shot off the lead after the first round of the Shinhan Korea Championship yesterday morning.
The Dubliner enjoyed two eagles and three birdies against just a single bogey to card a six-under-par 66 at Jeju-Jungmun Golf Club .
That left him in a tie for second place alongside Yong Eun Yang, behind early pacesetter Ted Purdy, who fired seven birdies in a bogey-free round.
England's Nick Faldo struggled to a two-over-par 74, with a lone birdie on the 17th coming after three bogeys.
CHINA OPEN: Ireland's Damien McGrane shot a one-under-par 71 and Peter Lawrie a 72 in the opening round of the China Open in Shanghai yesterday.
A five-under-par 67 gave the Bradley Dredge a share of the lead with Australian Unho Park after the Welshman had spent nine hours at Hong Kong airport on Tuesday to see if a visa was going to be issued to him.
Six players shared second place on 68 - Marc Cayeux, Jason Dawes, Stephen Dodd, Amandeep Johl, Matthew King and Barry Lane. Cayeux and King took advantage of their finish in the top 15 on the 2004 Challenge Tour Rankings to make an early impression in their respective rookie seasons on the European Tour.
But the main plaudits of the day went to Dredge and Park, the Welshman carding five birdies and an eagle at the 14th to counteract his dropped shots at the 11th and 17th, while Park, who finished third in the event last year, was flawless, five birdies in his first 10 holes being the 32-year-old's only departures from par.
Favourite Thomas Bjorn, the only player in the world's top 100, is four shots off the pace.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Former national amateur champion Kurt Barnes shot a 65 yesterday to emerge as the unlikely first round leader of the centenary Australian Open.
The 23-year-old son of a coalminer fired in nine birdies to finish the opening day two shots clear of the field at six-under-par.
Former champion Greg Chalmers was tied for second on 67 with Richard Green and Rod Pampling, while Stuart Appleby and Aaron Baddeley, who also have their names inscribed on the Stonehaven Cup, were among a bunch of six players a further two shots adrift on 69.
Barnes won the Australian amateur championship two years ago then quit his job as a storeman 12 months later to follow his dream of scratching out a living as a professional.
EUROPEAN SENIORS: American Bob Boyd finished as the star pupil in the European Seniors Tour Qualifying School finals at the Pinta Course at Pestana Golf Resort in the Algarve.
Boyd completed victory with a final round four-under-par 67 to finish seven strokes ahead of compatriot Rex Caldwell, who carded a 68.
The top eight finishers secured their full cards for next season.
Also heading for the 2005 European Seniors Tour are Englishmen Kevin Spurgeon, Gordon Townhill and Martin Foster, Lee Carter from the United States, Spain's Emilio Rodriguez, and Frenchman Jean Pierre Sallat.
Boyd missed only three greens in 72 holes and made just one bogey, which came on the 16th in the final round. He finished the tournament on 19-under-par 265.
Boyd is 49 and will have to wait until he turns 50 next July before he joins the Seniors Tour.
"I am excited to win. This is what I wanted to do. This is a very good tour and I look forward to being able to play when I turn 50," said Boyd, who won €4,272.
John Curtis was best of the Irish challengers with a one-under-par total of 283 and a share of 13th place. Kenny Stevenson finished on six-over-par 300, Leonard Owens on eight over and amateur Maurice Kelly tied for 44th place on 11-over-par 295.
