Irish hopes blown off course

Ireland's hopes of repeating their 1997 World Cup victory here suffered a potentially fatal blow yesterday. Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley were blown off course in blustery conditions during the opening four-balls, slumping to a two-over-par 74 to lie seven shots off the pace.

Harrington had shot birdies at the first two holes but then struggled with his swing and was still on the practice range as night fell on Thursday trying to find a cure. It did not look as if the hard work had paid off as he and McGinley went to the turn in 40 yesterday, dropping a massive 10 shots off the lead.

The prayers of all 23 remaining teams had been answered when yesterday dawned without a repeat of the strong winds which sent scores soaring on Thursday, but both Ireland and England failed to take advantage of the relatively calm conditions.

Both shot bogeys at the opening hole, but while Paul Casey and Justin Rose managed two birdies and another bogey to be out in 36 to remain one over, Ireland were grateful that Hong Kong and India were keeping them from last place.

A bogey on the third was followed by a birdie on the fourth where Harrington converted McGinley's good approach, but they then ran up a double-bogey six on the sixth after McGinley had fluffed a chip after a wayward second from his team-mate. Another shot went at the ninth and at six over par Ireland were in danger of becoming one of the also-rans.

At the top of the leaderboard, Germany's Alex Cejka and Marcel Siem had shot a bogey at the first, but remained one ahead of a six-strong chasing pack including Scotland and the pre-tournament favourites, the United States.

Scotland made a flying start, Paul Lawrie converting Alastair Forsyth's approach for an eagle at the second to jump to three under par, while Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard continued where they had left off. The American pair birdied two of the last three holes on Thursday for a 71, and birdied the second and seventh yesterday to improve to three under.

Wales had began the day in second, just a shot off the lead after a superb opening 68, but Ian Woosnam and Bradley Dredge dropped shots at the first and third to fall back into a tie for seventh on two under.