Padraig Harrington one off early leaders at Turkish Airlines Open
Friday 3 November 2017 14:19, UK
Padraig Harrington fired a bogey-free 65 to get within one shot of a three-way tie for the lead after the opening round of the Turkish Airlines Open.
Harrington, a sponsor's invite this week at Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort, posted six birdies on a day of low scoring to stay close to leading trio Nicolas Colsaerts, Haydn Porteous and Joost Luiten.
The Irishman share fourth spot with Anders Romero, with Ian Poulter and Eddie Pepperell part of a four-way tie on five under and Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood seven off the pace.
"I played nicely," Harrington said. "I didn't really get in trouble at any stage during the day. It was a pretty easy six-under-par - I wish they were all like that!"
Porteous set the early clubhouse target in the first group out by birdieing four his opening six holes on his way to a blemish-free 64, only for Colsaerts to briefly move above him after five birdies and an eagle in a nine-hole stretch around the turn.
The Belgian slipped back to seven under when he missed the 16th green to card his only blemish of the day, as Luiten posted seven birdies in a flawless display to make it a three-way tie at the top.
Romero posted a hat-trick of gains from the seventh and briefly joined the share of the lead with a birdie at the 15th, but couldn't get up-and-down to save par from a bunker at the next.
Harrington picked up a shot at the fourth and followed a 15-foot gain at the sixth with a close-range birdie at the next, before adding three birdies in the first four holes of his back nine.
A final-hole birdie moved Poulter within two of the lead alongside Pepperell, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Matthew Pavon, while Lee Westwood and Tyrrell Hatton are part of the group on four under.
Last week's WGC-HSBC Champions winner Justin Rose recovered from an early double-bogey to post an opening-round 69, as Fleetwood three-putted the last to close a level-par 71.
Watch the Turkish Airlines Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday from 9am on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event.
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