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Padraig Harrington finished five strokes off the pace in the Sanderson Farms Championship,Country Club of Jackson, in a group of 17 players who shot 70 in their first rounds.
The three time major winner continues his bid to move up the world rankings as 40 of the world’s top 50 players are contesting the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai. Currently being led by Graeme McDowell.
The world number 340 Harrington is one of nine former Major champions in the field at Jackson Country Club in Mississippi
Harrington, who reached a career-high third in the world six months after winning his third Major title in the 2008 US PGA Championship bust has since lost his Tour card and is playing on invitations.
Sebastian Cappelen leads after carding a seven under par 65 for the outright lead.
With 40 of the World’s top 50 players competing at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, it was expected that one of the nine former champions in the field would make their mark, but it is the 24-year-old who is setting the pace. Cappelen began with a bogey, but made eight birdies, shooting five under on the front nine and finished with a tricky par to finish two clear of the rest.
“I’m so happy, I couldn’t be happier,” Cappelen, told the Golf Channel.
“I came here just trying to get a new experience, trying to get a feel for how it feels to play on the real tour.
“I had a great time out there today and hit a lot of great shots. It was fun. I’ll try to just keep that going, take that with me into tomorrow.”
American pair Robert Streb and Scott Pinckney as well as Canadian Nick Taylor are on five under, with Streb’s bogey at the last a frustrating end to what had been up to then, a blemish-free round. Pinckney dropped shots at eight and 17, following birdies from 14 through 16, while Taylor did not register a bogey.
Nine players, including David Duval and Ben Curtis are a further shot back on four under par, while defending champion Woody Austin shot a 70.
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