• Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, Round One

Harrington makes flying start to 2011 with a 65

Padraig Harrington's eagle at the eighth took him to the head of the field © Getty Images

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Padraig Harrington's bid for his "greatest year ever" got off to a flying start as he stormed to within one shot of leader Charl Schwartzel on the first day of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.

The Irishman toiled throughout 2010, going winless on the European Tour and missing the cut at three of the year's majors. He implemented some tweaks after last season finished - and they look to have reaped immediate dividends.

The high-point of his seven-under 65 was an eagle at the eighth - his penultimate hole of the day - that was secured with a superlative chip-in from the fringes of the green. That stroke was vintage Harrington, while he also showed an accuracy from the tee that was sorely lacking at times last year.

"There were some errors there, but they didn't catch up on me - and I hit a lot of good shots when I had to," Harrington told Sky Sports. "I hit some nice drives on the important holes and made some nice numbers. There were a lot of good things but also some average stuff - on another day that would have been a 69 - but I certainly got the most out of the round today."

Graeme McDowell is one shot behind Harrington in third, while Martin Kaymer - a two-time winner - is at five-under. The German's 67, which came off the rails on the back nine with six straight pars, leaves him firmly on course for the top-seven finish he needs to usurp Tiger Woods as the world No. 2.

Lee Westwood was poised to leave himself right in the mix before his tee-shot made a watery landing at the sixth, resulting in his only bogey of the day. Ominously for the rest of the field, Westwood made a promising start despite being uncharacteristically erratic with the driver.

"I was delighted, I played well out there," he said. "It's not a course I turn up to and think that it suits me. It's a course I battle with as it doesn't suit my eye. So I was pleased with how I went round it - I hit the ball good and felt like I deserved to break 70."

Ian Poulter, who will be hugely disappointed to find himself at three-over, posted five bogeys after the turn as he lost his way spectacularly on the closing stretch. Rory McIlroy is at one-under, with Paul Casey at one-over.

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