Ireland & Austria share opening lead

Irishmen Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington are tough to satisfy.

Despite a 12-under 60 to share the lead with Austria on Thursday in the first round of the team World Cup, the Irish were greedy. They were looking for a 59.

Both Irishmen had 15-foot putts for birdies on the final hole. McGinley made a similar putt two years ago at The Belfry to win the Ryder Cup for Europe.

"It was exactly the same sort of putt, straight across the slope," McGinley said. "It was crossing my mind. I was hoping to do the same, but it didn't happen."

Opening day conditions produced low scores at the final World Golf Championships tournament of the season. The greens were soft, the wind was down at the Real Club de Golf, and the fourball (better ball) format left 12 teams within four shots of the leaders going into Friday's more difficult foursomes (alternate shot) format.

England's Paul Casey and Luke Donald were one off the lead after a 61, followed by Japan's Shigeki Maruyama and Hidemichi Tanaka (62) and Spain's Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez (63).

Six teams were tied on 8-under 64 -- Australia, Scotland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the United States.

Defending champions Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman of South Africa were six strokes off the lead after a 66.

"It was just perfect conditions for professional golfers to make us look good," Harrington joked.

McGinley and Harrington are among the best in the world at team golf.

They won the '97 World Cup -- their first big victory as pros -- and were among Europe's stars two months ago in the lopsided win over the United States in the Ryder Cup.

McGinley gave Ireland an early boost, holing a 25-foot bunker shot for birdie on No. 2. They birdied seven of the next 10 holes, and then McGinley holed a 30-foot bunker shot for an eagle.

"This game is very much like the Ryder Cup in terms of momentum," McGinley said. "When it comes to a team event, momentum is massive."

On a day when obscure teams shot respectable scores -- Myanmar shot a 69 to top playing partners Argentina by a stroke -- the Irish were low-key in an event first played in 1953.

"You used to come to the World Cup and there would be 10 or 12 really weak teams," McGinley said. "There a lot of strong players in the world nowadays."

He could have been talking about little-known Austrians Martin Wiegele and Markus Brier.

Wiegele is ranked No. 535 in the world, and won only 22,000 euros ($28,500) this year on the European tour. He also lost his European tour card for next season.

Brier has never won on the European tour -- he was second this season in the Russian Open -- with winnings this year of 260,000 euros ($338,000).

"I had a season where I have been struggling a bit, and playing as good as we did today was just awesome," Wiegele said.

The Austrians were forced to travel to Mexico to qualify, and then only got in when teams ahead of them pulled out. A sponsor paid the airfare.

"It didn't cost us too much, fortunately," Brier said. "Even without a sponsor we would have gone. It's a chance that only comes around once a year."

American Scott Verplank and Bob Tway were in the mix after an 8-under 64. Verplank accepted the invitation to play -- he chose his Oklahoma neighbor -- after nine higher ranked Americans turned down the event. The Americans finished with two birdies after a bogey at par-5 No. 16.

"We finished strong and that helps," Verplank said. "We were just kind of treading water there most of the day."

Off the course, English golfer Paul Casey apologized Thursday for derogatory comments he made about Americans.

Casey, who lives in the United States, was quoted in English newspapers saying he "hated" Americans. He said he'd made the statement in the context of the attitude he had going into the Ryder Cup two months ago.

"Unfortunately there was a line I said, which I can't deny I said. It was said off the cuff and maybe taken out of context, but nonetheless it was there," he said. "I shouldn't have used the word. That was my error.

"I'd like to apologize and do everything I could to take it back."

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