Pádraig Harrington carded a 68 at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club to reach the clubhouse just two shots off the pace set by Rory Sabbatini in the first round of the BMW Championship. The Dubliner started on the back nine and carded three birdies and no bogeys to join playing partner Geoff Ogilvy on three-under-par.

Ogilvy had at one stage been five under but dropped four shots on the way in before picking himself up again on the eighth and ninth, while Sabbatini could have been two shots better off had he not slipped up early on the first and fifth.

The latter was joined on five under by compatriot Steve Marino, while Bo van Pelt and Australian Marc Leishman are a shot behind after 67s.

Harrington found the bunker with his first tee shot on the 10th but shot a 120-yard second to within nine feet of the pin and sank the putt for an early birdie.

A 244-yard approach to the par five 15th green set up an eagle attempt but the three-time major winner needed two putts.

Typically, the Irishman didn’t risk much on the way in and played the last conservatively but cleverly to pick up another on the 615-yard par five.

Tiger Woods, Camilo Villegas and David Toms also carded 68s, while Anthony Kim and Ian Poulter are a shot back on two-under-par.