• PGA Championship, Round One

Fisher starts well as Pad slips back

ESPN staff
May 20, 2010
Ross Fisher put himself firmly in contention despite his round being somewhat inconsistent © Getty Images
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Last year's runner-up Ross Fisher made a bright start to his PGA Championship challenge, carding a 67 despite some inconsistent play.

Fisher drained nine birdies, but a string of bogeys and a double-bogey at 13 dragged him back to four-under and left him reflecting on what might have been.

Fisher's 67 looked a solid number, but it was put into the shade by Danny Willett's round of 65. The Englishman birdied 16, 17 and 18 to move to the head of the field ahead of the rounds off the late starters.

Ernie Els made a costly bogey on 18, but the South African produced a solid round to sit on two-under on the course he helped redesign.

There has been a mixed reaction to Els' changes, but the world No. 7 shrugged off the controversy by plotting his way round Wentworth in exemplary fashion. He started with seven pars before cranking up the tempo with birdies on eight, nine and ten.

The 18th is the hole that has commanded the most attention and Els tried to make a statement by attacking the green with a fairway wood, but it cost him as he dumped the ball into the stream that guards the green. He failed to get up and down and it saw him post a 69.

"I am not feeling too good right now," Els told Sky Sports after trudging off the 18th. "It was a perfect five wood but I just dragged it and didn't make a good swing."

Commenting on the first competitive round at the new-look West Course, Els said: "I thought it played fair and well, the course was in great shape. It has set up well and gives people the chance to make a score. That is what we had in mind.

"I think there will be a lot of good scoring, it is perfect weather and the greens are beautiful.

"I have not spoken to too many of the players, but on the whole it has been positive. Some of the players need to say something negative. But most of them understand what we are trying to do here."

Luke Donald thrilled tournament organisers when making the event part of his schedule and he made it look a sensible decision with an opening round of 68, which included birdies on 16 and 17, and he sits one shot behind a group on four-under which includes Scotland's Richie Ramsay.

Some of the bigger names in the field made low-key starts to the event. Paul Casey is the defending champion and he threatened to make a charge with birdies on three and four, but a bogey on nine checked his momentum and he had to settle for a one-under 70 despite firing a superb birdie at the 18th.

Lee Westwood started like a train with four birdies in his opening eight holes, but his momentum was checked by a double-bogey at 10 and he was forced to settle for a one-under 70.

Rory McIlroy faces a fight to make the weekend as he carded a three-over 74, but it could have been far worse as birdies on 16 and 17 went some way to rescuing his card.

Justin Rose also struggled on a rare foray into Europe, as three bogeys and a double-bogey left him on 74.

Padraig Harrington had a costly end to his round, as the Irishman carded an eight on the 17th to shuffle back to level par. The Irishman, who is set to have knee surgery next week, was not at his best throughout the day but got the ball round well until the 17th when his game unravelled and saw him card a 71.

The new-look West Course was not to Ian Poulter's taste on the first day, as he racked up a seven-over 78. Poulter has suggested any one of the top ten could overhaul Tiger Woods at the top of the standings, but on this form he is unlikely to be among them. Things started badly for Poulter as he bogeyed the first and he could muster just one birdie in the round as he slipped towards the tail of the field.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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