Australian trio lead big names

Australians Geoff Ogilvy, Wayne Smith and Christopher Gray set the early pace with five-under-par 67s on Thursday to outshine some of the bigger names on the European Tour in the first round of the Heineken Classic.

As US Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal struggled to a 75 and two-time Open winner Greg Norman opened with a 73, the Aussie trio established a one-shot lead over the rest of the field on a long day of strong winds at The Vines Resort in Perth.

In-form New Zealander Michael Campbell fired a 68 to join Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, South Africa’s Retief Goosen and Australia’s Peter O’Malley in a fourway tie for fourth while Germany’s Sven Struver, Sweden’s Patrick Sjoland and England’s John Bickerton were among a group of five tied for eighth place on 69.

Open champion Paul Lawrie birdied three of the last four holes to match Australian Craig Parry with a two-under 70 but world number five and pre-tournament favourite Ernie Els was disappointed with his 72.

The windy conditions and slow-paced greens combined to produce lengthy rounds taking up to five and a half hours apiece and Swede Mathias Gronberg, who won the South African Open in Johannesburg at the weekend, was also a little frustrated as he returned a 73.

The day was even worse for Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, who collapsed to an ugly eight-over-par 80 in his first competitive round of the season. Yet the Ryder Cup player, who had three double-bogeys and three bogeys as well as five three-putts, has rather better memories of The Vines layout – he set the course record with a sparkling 63 three years ago.

"It was a day when you needed to be sharp and I was blunt,” the Irishman said. “It was a combination of things - it was a tough day, I was poor mentally and I didn't putt well.”

Ogilvy, a 22-year-old from Adelaide who is one of the longest drivers on the European Tour, produced an electric finish to his round at The Vines. Lying one-under with five holes remaining, he hit a nine-iron approach to two feet on the 393-yard 14^th and then sank long putts at the next two holes to move to four-under overall. A comfortable two-putt for birdie at the last saw him finish in style at five-under.

"I may have hit it long off the tee, but I hit it terribly and I need to learn to score better when I am playing ugly," he said afterwards.

Probably the most in-form player in the entire tournament field is New Zealand’s Campbell who won the opening event of the Tour - the Johnnie Walker Classic in Taiwan in November – and then lifted the New Zealand Open title last Sunday.

"I'm trying less," the 30-year-old said. "About three or four years ago I went through a stage where I tried to swing it perfectly. I was more like a Faldo than myself. Now I am more of a natural player."

Olazabal, playing his first event of the year after a long break around Christmas and New Year, began well enough with a birdie-four at the first. But the two-time Masters champion then dropped four shots in six holes around the turn.

"My iron play was really bad,” the Spaniard said later. “I did a lot of mis-clubbing in the wind."

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