Golf Events / Editor / 04 May 2007 / Leave a Comment

Ireland's Padraig Harrington leads the Wachovia Championship by one shot in North Carolina after firing an opening round 66

Harrington's six birdies and no bogeys at the Quail Hollow Club saw him finish the first day on six-under-par, with Vijay Singh and Jason Bohn hot on his heels just one stroke behind. Carl Pettersson and Trevor Immelman are in the group on -4.

Despite his start, Harrington was not completely happy with the performance. He admitted: "I didn't really hit the ball that well, or really have that much control, so it was definitely a round of good putting.

"I ended up using a new putter shaft this week, something that's quite revolutionary, and it worked wonders.

"It has two lead weights right at the top and it changes the dynamics of the putter substantially. It's so good it should be banned."

World number one Tiger Woods, playing on the anniversary of his father's death and his first action since the Masters, is not too far off the pace following a two-under-par 70 - the same score as Phil Mickelson.

Woods said: "I started out not that sharp, but I turned it around, played pretty good from number four on.

"It got really difficult out there. These fairways, being this hard and fast and a little bit pitched and angled, it's really hard to hit some."

Defending champion Jim Furyk, South African Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia of Spain opened with rounds of 71, while Lee Westwood and Brian Davis are the leading Britons after they fired level par rounds.

Betfair punters still see Woods as the man to beat, with the 12-time Major winner currently trading at 4 to claim the winner's cheque on Sunday.

Singh, already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this year, is next best in the outright win market at 5.5 while Harrington can be backed at 10.5. Mickelson, who has never won the Wachovia Championship, is on offer at 16.5.