European Tour — Padraig Harrington confessed that he needs to adopt a more conservative approach to avoid of the tee if he is to challenge for the Hero Indian Open in New Delhi.

The 44-year old opened with a one under 71 a Delhi Golf Club and trails leader Daniel Im by six shots in a share of 40th with Michael Hoey tied 54th after a 72 and Paul Dunne 93rd after a two over 74.

“I enjoyed it,” Harrington said after three bogeys and four birdies. "It is a great course because it puts you under pressure all the way through. It is a good test of golf.

"I created problems on the greens. I could see at times I was a bit aggressive on a few tee boxes and got away with that. I might need to be a little bit more conservative for the next few rounds.”

Harrington was two under through 10 holes but finished with a bogey at the ninth at the tight Delhi course where many players opt for fairway woods off the tee to remain in play.

“I played better than my score especially early in my round,” Harrington said after hitting just seven of 14 fairways.

"Finishing with a bogey isn’t a great thing. I would have been happier if I was three or four-under. 

"That’s where I felt I should have been. That’s the game. We have another 54 holes to go so it is steady start but nothing too spectacular.”

Defending champion Anirban Lahiri produced a sparkling finish of four consecutive birdies for an opening 68 to trail by three.

American Im’s seven under opening total came after a flawless performance gave the 30-year old Qualifying School graduate a one-shot lead over Thailand’s Prom Meesawat and the Spanish duo of Jorge Campillo and Nacho Elvira.

Five players, including India’s SSP Chawrasia and Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin who had a hole in one during his first round 67, are a further shot back. 

First round scores

65 D Im (USA); 66 P Meesawat (Tha); J Campillo (Esp); N Elvira (Esp);  67 S Chawrasia (Ind); T Pilkadaris (Aus); J Wang (Kor); R Jacquelin (Fra); S Kumar (Ind);  68 H Baisoya (Ind); W Ormsby (Aus); T Fleetwood (Eng); G Havret (Fra); A Cañizares (Esp); A Lahiri (Ind). Irish: 71 P Harrington (Irl); 72  M Hoey (Nir); 74 P Dunne (Irl).

Hume set for third win from three in Bonallack Trophy

Bonallack Trophy — Jack Hume has a 100 percent record in the Bonallack Trophy, winning his first two  matches in foursomes and fourballs and then went dormie three up in a third before play was suspended at the Vidago Palace in Portugal with Europe leading Asia Pacific 12.5 to 6.5 .

After winning his foursomes with David Boote on day one, the Naas star  partnered the Welshman to a one hole foursomes win over Chinese Taipei's Han-Ting Chiu and Chun-An Yu before teaming up with Italy's Luca Cianchetti to lead India's Samarth Dwivedi and Singapore's Gregory Foo by three up through 15 holes when play was suspended because of darkness. Scores

Tommy Cash

 Mediterranean Tour — Killarney's Tommy O'Driscoll closed with a six over 78 to finish 32nd and earn his first cheque as a professional in the Palm Hills Championship near Cairo.

The 19-year old finished on 20 over par as England's Steven Uzzell shot 72 to win the 54-hole event by four strokes from compatriot James Scade on five under with Ireland's Liam Murray (76) third on three over.

Scores