Northern Ireland’’s Darren Clarke overcame challenging conditions to post an opening three under par 67 and share the first round lead of the Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
Clarke was joined by Americans Jay Haas and Jerry Kelly in a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard in the race for the $1m winner's cheque in the season-ending tournament on the US PGA Tour.
Haas and Clarke, part of the elite 31 man field, coped with a testing breeze, carding three under par 67s on a crisp afternoon at East Lake Golf Club.
Clarke had three birdies in his first seven holes but a bogey on the fourth saw him reach the turn in two under.
Further birdies followed at the 12th and 14th before Clarke missed a short birdie putt on the par five 15th to go five under par. His dismay was compounded by a bogey on the 16th but the Ulsterman parred the final two holes for a share of the lead.
"I played well and was in a position to shoot a 65 when I got to the 15th. It was annoying to miss out on birdie and then drop a shot at the next but overall I can't complain," said Clarke.
Dubliner Pádraig Harrington was two shots back after a fighting 69, which included a rare eagle three on the 15th. Harrington had birdies on the eighth and 12th, and three bogeys at the second, 10th and 14th.
In the final two-ball, World Number One Vijay Singh, chasing a tenth win of the season, was a model of consistency, picking up two birdies, at the first and 17th, to off-set a bogey at the fourth for a one under par 69.
Retief Goosen, the US Open Champion, shot a level par 70, two shots better than compatriot Ernie Els, winner of the Volvo Order of Merit for a second successive season.
