Ireland on top as scores tumble in World Cup

Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, winners in 1997 and Ryder Cup partners two months ago, began golf 's World Cup with a 12-under-par 60 in Seville today.

But in an opening fourballs of spectacular scoring that was good enough only for a onestroke lead over unfancied Austria, while England's Luke Donald Casey and Paul Casey were just two behind with one to play as well. Birdies and eagles were the name of the game in the opening round. Harrington and McGinleyraced to 11 under par after 14 holes, McGinleyholing a bunker shot for birdie on the second and then doing it again for eagle on the long 13th.

The top three all turned in just 30 strokes, as did Swedes Fredrik Jacobson and Joakim Haeggman, while favourites Spain closed to only four behind when Sergio Garcia almost made an albatross on the 13th.

Wales and Scotland were six and five under respectively after 12 holes.

TIGER WOODS defied the rain to record a fiveunderpar 65 and take a three-stroke lead after the first round of the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan.

Woods, one of the world's seven top-ranked golfers who have shunned the World Cup, opened with a birdie on the par-four 10th and added four more to set the pace in the richest tournament on the Japanese tour.

Former world No1 Woods said: "I don't remember leading after the first round of any tournament this year."