Paul McGinley wants to join the European Tour's Millionaires Club, and yesterday's six under par 66 in the first round of the Oki ProAm in Madrid could give him the base to secure his membership this weekend. An eagle and four birdies on the La Moraleja number one course, despite having his start delayed for three hours because of fog, gave the Dubliner an inspiring start in his bid for the top two place that will take his earnings in only six full seasons into seven figures.

"It is a milestone that I will be proud of and something to remember," said the new Irish PGA champion after putting himself only two strokes behind pacemaker Richard Boxall. The Englishman had 10 birdies in his eight under par 64 at the Jack Nicklaus-designed number two course for a one-stroke advantage over Welshman Mark Mouland, and the Spaniards Jose Rivero and Fernando Roca.

But for McGinley's World Cup partner Padraig Harrington it was a day of mixed fortune and frustration as he had two double bogeys in a 72. The first came at the 16th on the number one course where he pushed his drive over the adjacent fourth tee. He was told by the professionals playing the fourth that it had run into a flower bed, but his ball could not be located, and after a ruling went against him, had to declare it as lost.

"Five greenkeepers were walking by at the time and I can only assume that one of them picked up my ball thinking it was a stray," said Harrington. "It was annoying because the same thing happened to me in the Spanish Open at this club earlier this year."

Even so, he went out in a regulation 36 with the aid of a birdie at the 17th, and then repaired the damage to his card with further birdies at the sixth and seventh. But he then finished with a seven, after driving into trees and hitting two of them before extricating his ball.

Harrington spent six hours on the course because of the delays and the ruling, and said he had run out of patience at the end. In contrast, McGinley could not have been more at home. "The number one course reminds me of my college days at San Diego," he said.

He too began from the 10th, and was out in 34 after hitting approaches to within 12 inches of the 12th and 14th flags. His eagle came at the sixth where he hit a drive and three-iron to 12 feet.

His other birdies came from a good pitch to two feet at the third, and a 15-foot putt at the eighth. "I hit all 18 greens in regulation, and my only missed fairway was at the 16th where I was just in the semirough," he added.

It was also a good day for Raymond Burns, Des Smyth and David Higgins, who were all under par. Burns, who had hardly touched a club during the previous two weeks since the German Masters, had seven birdies in his 67, three of them in the last five holes.

Smyth, who needs a high finish to retain his Tour card on merit, rather than rely on his career earnings for a place next season, had a solid 69 in which he birdied two of the last three holes.