SINGAPORE // Padraig Harrington was happy with his performance but not his score after the Irishman fired an opening round one-over-par 72 at a rainy Singapore Open. The three-times major winner is one of a host of leading international players in the field for the $5 million (Dh 18.3m) event, the Asian Tours richest national open, and the 37-year-old was a little disappointed to have let a strong start go to waste.
"It should have been better as I played better than the score suggests," Harrington said after he completed his first round five shots behind early leader Lam Chih Bing of Singapore. "It certainly had the potential to be better but it is a 72 and I am encouraged by the way I hit the ball. "I definitely left a few shots out there and that needs to be better over the next three days." Teeing off under leaden skies in damp morning conditions, Harrington reached the turn at two-under par but struggled coming in, registering three bogeys. His round was also disrupted for two hours due to lightning and heavy rain, but said that it did not affect his round.
"The weather did not affect me at all, he admitted. It was tough enough early on but I played fine in the rain and when we came back out after the delay. I cannot blame the weather for anything." Looking ahead to the remaining three rounds, Harrington feels patience is the key to clawing his way back into contention. "I am enthusiastic about playing and keen to get back out there, he said. I played nicely today and that is encouraging.
"I do need to score a little bit better but also need to stay patient. "Hopefully tomorrow I will make a few more birdies and a lot less bogeys." *Reuters
