Indian Masters: Despite falling away badly in Dubai last week Ireland's Damien McGrane took the early momentum into the Emaar-MGF Indian Masters where he is just two shots off the lead held by local favourite Jyoti Randhawa.
The Meath man would have been joint leader had the Indian not eagled the last at the tight tree-lined Delhi Golf Club.
In last week's Dubai Desert Classic McGrane was paired with Tiger Woods over the final two rounds and even outscored the world number one in the third round (72-73). However, a hugely disappointing final round 79 dropped him down into a tie for 44th, rather than contending for the title.
Today McGrane was undeterred and quickly found his groove to reach the turn in three-under 33. Despite a dropped a shot at the 10th, the 36-year-old responded with three more birdies before signing for an opening five-under 67, which left him tied second with England's Richard Finch
Randhawa's flawless round also contained an eagle at the par five 14th, plus birdies on the third, sixth and 12th.
The trio of Jose Manuel Lara from Spain, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and India's Shiv Kapur share fourth on four-under-par
Graeme McDowell was in a large group one shot further back on three-under as the Ulsterman looks to build on his fifth place finish in Dubai. The 28-year-old reached the 15th without dropping a shot, but a bogey at the16th was cancelled by a closing birdie at the par five 18th.
Darren Clarke is the only other Irishman in the new European Tour event and he steered a steady course to open with a level par 72.
Earlier Bjorn and Kapur each birdied two of the four par fives on the 7,014-yard course and both players admitted that is how the tournament will be won and lost.
"It was a good day, I played solid until the last three holes. I took it pretty steady off the tee on most holes and took a couple of chances," said the Dane.
"It's a good start and we will work from there. It certainly isn't an easy golf course if you start hitting it off line off the tee. I was pleased I stuck to my game plan."
World number four Ernie Els, the highest ranked player in the field at the €1.6million event, did not start his first professional visit to India well with a three-over-par 75 after hitting several wayward shots.
Els, third last week in Dubai behind Woods, made a disastrous start to the day after two bogeys in three holes having started on the back nine.
But the two-time US Open champion briefly responded and reeled off three consecutive birdies before a quadruple-bogey nine at the 545-yard par five 18th ruined his hard work.
Els, looking for his first stroke play title since the 2006 South African Airways Open, hit his second shot into the bushes and was forced to take a drop before pitching his fourth back into the bushes, resulting in another penalty. His approach fell short of the green and when he did get the ball up he two putted to reach the turn three over par.
The big South African responded with back-to-back birdies but a dropped shot at his 14th and another at his last, the ninth, after he was forced to chip out of the bushes sideways, left him well off the pace.
