| Straffan,
Ireland, 20th August 1998 -
Little-known Swede Mathias Gronberg picked up the baton from compatriot Per-Ulrik
Johansson on Thursday, taking the lead on the first day of the £1.25 million Smurfit
European Open. Gronberg,
who has won just one European Tour victory in seven years as a professional, carded
a four-under par 68 to snatch the lead from Darren Clarke, who led after the morning's
play with a 69. Gronberg,
whose round included six birdies and two bogeys, was delighted with his 68 but
dismissed suggestions he had learned the secret of success from Johansson. Gronberg
has been gradually building his form this season, finishing in the top 10 four
times including a seventh place at the Scandinavian Masters earlier this month.
"My putting
was really good today. The greens played well and everything I thought was going
to go in actually went down," he said. Johansson,
aiming for a hat-trick of European Open victories at the K Club south of Dublin,
had a disastrous day, finishing 11-over-par on 83 on a day of winds gusting up
to gale force and bone-chilling Irish drizzle. Six
players shared third spot with one-under 71s, a list that included veteran Scot
Sam Torrance, American Craig Hainline and local boy Padraig Harrington. Spaniard
Francisco Cea and South African Roger Wessels also ended one under, along with
Englishman Malcolm Mackenzie. Torrance,
well known for liking a drink until a year ago, when he stopped drinking all alcohol,
said he was delighted to have finished a round at the K Club without the assistance
of beer. "The
first time I played we'd just won the Ryder Cup and I was on the Guinness. The
same the second time. This is the first time I've played the course sober without
the hindrance of Guinness," said the jovial Scot. Some
of the game's more famous names suffered in the bad weather on a course made more
difficult in an attempt to attract the Ryder Cup to the Irish course. Scot
Colin Montgomerie finished one over on 73 while England's Lee Westwood, ranked
ninth in the world, struggled to a weak five-over round of 77, which included
a drop when his ball vanished into the depths of the River Liffey, which meanders
through the County Kildare course. Top
American Payne Stewart also turned in a 77 while Spain's Seve Ballesteros finished
two over on 74, a round that included some disastrously poor putting. Germany's
1995 winner Bernhard Langer kept himself in contention with a 73. There
were two holes in one, England's Jim Payne holing his tee shot on the short third
and Scot Dean Robertson aceing the 12th. Clarke
swapped nappies for his golf clubs and said he was still catching up with sleep
lost over the past two weeks since the birth of his first child. The
30-year-old from Dungannon hit five birdies and two bogeys. English
teenage sensation Justin Rose, who failed to make the cut in his first two pro
tournaments, shot a mediocre four-over par 76 and will have to battle to make
Friday's cut. The
18-year-old, fourth at last month's Open Championship, took a double bogey at
the 11th but finished strongly with birdies on the last two holes. | 
