Harrington goes Fu Manchu on the greens

Padraig Harrington sports a moustache for “Movember” in Singapore. Picture: Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington has become used to shaving the lip in recent years but not even a Fu Man Chu style moustache grown to raise awareness of male cancer month Movember could prevent another bad day on the greens in the Barclays Singapore Open.

The triple major winner missed the cut by five shots at Sentosa last season, taking 36 putts in a second round 77 on the Serapong Course that was bereft of even one birdie.

At least, we think it’s a Fu ManchuHe couldn’t have played much worse yet came close to repeating the feat in Thursday’s weather-curtailed first round when he again failed to make even one birdie and took 33 putts in three over 74 that left him provisionally tied for 119th.

Having started at the 10th, Harrington opened with 12 successsive pars but then pulled his tee shot into the lake at the fourth and walked off with a double bogey seven.

He then closed with a bogey at the ninth, jabbing a seven footer wide after a pulled tee shot caused him to miss the green right.

Just three of the five-strong Irish contingent managed to finish their rounds on a day cut short by electrical activity.

As Thomas Bjorn shot a five under 66 to lead in the clubhouse, Shane Lowry was one under through nine holes when play was suspended for the day with world No 1 Rory McIlroy on level par through eight after two birdies and two bogeys.

Michael Hoey and Peter Lawrie had problems with the par five seventh as they opened with one over 72s.

Hoey took a seven at the 587-yard par five while Lawrie, who hopes to gain election to the European Tour Players Committee in time for the Ryder Cup captaincy meeting, racked up a triple bogey eight before getting one of those shots back at the next.