Course record for Fisher

Fisher: course record

First round leaderboard
GB and Ire. unless stated
R Fisher -9
D Frost (SA) -7
G McDowell -7
R McIlroy -5

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A course record nine-under-par 63 has enabled Ross Fisher to seize the lead after the opening round of the European Open at The London Club.

The 27-year-old overcame windy conditions in Kent to finish with six successive birdies and leave some of the biggest names on the European Tour trailing in his wake.

Fisher leads by two from Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and South Africa's David Frost, while Ulster teenager Rory McIlroy lies in fourth place on five-under-par.

The leader later described his round as "a little bit surreal", adding "it's probably the best, most solid round of golf I've played and on the front nine [he began on the 10th] the hole was as big as a bucket."

Fisher, who gained his first Tour title in Holland last August, came through the 36-hole Open qualifier at Sunningdale on Monday and, with his hectic schedule taking its toll, had considered pulling out of this weekend's event.

"I sort of had a thought about it," Fisher continued. "I was feeling pretty tired, but how do you pull out of an event when you live only 40 minutes away?

"It's pretty difficult to sit at home and watch it on TV, knowing that you are playing well.

"So I thought, 'let's see how we go'. Have a few days off and if I feel fine I'll play."

Teeing off early on Thursday, Fisher made two quick birdies, did not have to wait long for two more and, after bogeying the short 17th, covered the outward half in 30.

Massive

That included a holed bunker shot on the 187-yard seventh and a massive drive on the dogleg 448-yard ninth that came up just 20 yards short of the green.

Defending champion Colin Montgomerie, round in a more sedate 70 as he looks to build on his runner-up finish in France, said that Fisher was "Nadal-like" for producing such power.

But Fisher, who closed with a triple bogey eight after chipping into water in Shanghai last November, has also been working on his short game with former Tour pro Mark Roe.

"In my mind, him and Brett Rumford are two of the greatest short-game people I've been privileged to witness," he added.

Montgomerie was three under after eight but two shots into bunkers then cost him bogeys, the Scot's two-under round placing him in a tie for 19th place.

But he still had a better day than Padraig Harrington who, recovering from a stiff neck, returned a level-par 72 in his last Tour outing before his Open defence at Royal Birkdale.

"I'm happy with my short-game and I was as solid as I've been all year on the greens, but I struggled to get distance control," the Irishman said.

"You've just got to stay patient and wait for it to turn round. My neck is still a little bit jammed, but I wouldn't have played this week if I was truly injured."

Standings

McDowell fell out of the top 10 on the Ryder Cup standings last Sunday, but the first prize of £400,000 could take him to sixth come Sunday.

"I've not looked at the table for weeks - I know I've got to perform and all I can do is focus on day by day," said McDowell, who blamed a bogey at the 14th on feeling rushed because his group were being timed for slow play.

Paul McGinley was six under with two to play, but followed a bogey on the short 17th with a drive into water for a closing double bogey six and a three-under 69.

Playing partner Justin Rose shot the same, while Darren Clarke, like McGinley striving for a top-five finish to qualify for The Open, returned a 71 to tie for 30th place alongside Sergio Garcia.

Late on, Frost birdied the 14th, 15th and 16th to move alongside McDowell into a tie for second place, while an eagle at the 15th allowed playing partner McIlroy to jump up the leaderboard.