Harrington clickety-clicks to lead at Sun City

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Padraig Harrington carded a six under par round of 66 to lead the Nedbank Golf Challenge by one stroke after a rain-affected first day at Sun City, South Africa today. The Irishman, pictured, fired seven birdies and had just one bogey blemish as he produced an excellent back nine to move ahead of English duo Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood, on five and four under respectively.
Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez was also on four under, with last year's winner Robert Allenby two shots back after shooting a one under 70, the same score as England's Justin Rose.
The South African contingent were slightly off the pace at the Gary Player Country Club with Ernie Els and Open Championship winner Louis Oosthuizen on one under, along with Edoardo Molinari.
Earlier, Fisher was looking good for the overnight lead, but just as lightning and rain arrived to force a two-hour delay, he mishit his tee shot at the par-4  17th and ended with a double-bogey 6.
He was on seven under before that, but then slipped to five under with Harrington making the most of the opening.
"It's just one of those things," Fisher said. "I guess six was as good as I could have done.
"At 18 it would have left a sour taste if I ended with five and didn't end with the par. I mean finishing four under would have felt like 76 for the way I played.
"So I was relieved to have knocked that putt in and five under's a good start."
After the resumption, three-time Major winner Harrington sank a 12 foot putt for birdie on 15 to claim the lead.
He then had his only bogey of the round on 17, but a fine second shot out of the rough - the ball flew over the trees to within two feet of the cup - allowed him to birdie the last for a one-shot lead.
World No 1 Westwood had made a poor start to the day and was one over through six, before a turn in fortune helped him make headway up the leaderboard.
"I struggled to hit the greens in the first five or six holes and you know what it's like when you get stuck in the fringes," he said. "You're just not sure how it's going to come out.
"I didn't give myself any birdie chances and then three-putted six. So it was a slow start, but I picked it up after that."
And he admitted that he was always confident he would improve as the round progressed.
The 37 year old added: "I'm playing well at the moment, I'm confident. There is no panic in me because I'm confident in my ability, so I just have to be patient and let things happen."
South African Retief Goosen and Dane Anders Hansen were on level par after 72s, while the 12-man line-up was propped up by Tim Clark's 73.
FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
66 Padraig Harrington (Ireland).
67 Ross Fisher (England).
68 Lee Westwood (England).
69 Miguel Angel Jiménez (Spain),
70 Justin Rose (England), Robert Allenby (Australia).
71 Edoardo Molinari (Italy), Ernie Els (S Africa), Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa). 
72 Retief Goosen (S Africa), Anders Hansen (Denmark).
73 Tim Clark (S Africa).