GOLF: Padraig Harrington enhanced his reputation as the European Tour's most consistent player by finishing day one of the season-opening BMW Asian Open one shot off the lead.

Harrington, who earlier this month just failed to beat Retief Goosen to the European Tour Order of Merit title, fired six birdies in a flawless opening round of six-under 66. Fellow Irishman Paul McGinley was four shots back after a poor finish to his round.

Last season Harrington was the only player to finish with a sub-70 stroke average on his way to 10 top 10s and a further seven top 20 placings.

And on the first day over the Ta Shee course in Taiwan, the Ryder Cup star showed he had no intention of giving up the chance to gain an early head-start over his rivals in officially the first event of the 2003 season.

Impeccable approach play and some excellent putting over the slippery greens typical of south east Asian courses combined to deliver birdies at the third, fifth, sixth, eighth, 14th and 15th and he lies just a shot off the pace set by Indian Jyoti Randhawa.

Given the conditions Harrington was delighted to have posted 66, but even happier to have sustained the kind of iron play which meant he had a birdie putt on every single hole.

He said: "I am obviously pleased, particularly as the weather was bad - it was raining, it was blowing.

"To be honest, when you make a few birdies in those conditions, you see that it's possible to do it. I had 18 birdie putts out there, and holed six of them. You've got to be pleased with that.

"I'm not bringing any expectations for the next three days - obviously I'm pleased with the way I played, but it wasn't quite effortless, none of the birdies were that short.

"I was thinking of shooting the best score - every putt I had I was trying to hole."

The tricky greens had been tipped to favour the Asian players but Randhawa was the only one to really take advantage on an excellent first day for the European contingent.

The 30-year-old former Singapore Open champion carded a seven-under-par round of 65 that included six birdies and an eagle over the 7,101-yard course.

Germany's Sven Struver and Holland's Maarten Lafeber were alongside Harrington a shot back on 66.

In joint fifth after 67s were South African Des Terblanche, defending champion Jarmo Sandelin, Swede Henrik Nystrom, American Andrew Pitts and Scotland's Simon Yates.

Paul McGinley also recorded a solid start, but his round of 70 was somewhat marred by a double-bogey six at the ninth - his final hole.

Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal recovered from an outward half of 39 to return a one-over-par 73, which included three birdies in his last eight holes.

Sam Torrance managed five birdies but also recorded six bogeys in an opening 73.