Jul 3, 2008 - 3:38 PM
0 shoutsBy Mark Garrod PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
KENT, England (Ticker) -- Two days after wondering if he was too tired to give the European Open his best shot, Ross Fisher produced the lowest round of his Tour career on Thursday.
The 27-year-old Fisher broke The London Club course record with a 9-under-par 63 to take the lead after the first round of the European Open.
"A little bit surreal," said Fisher, who owns a two-shot lead over Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and South African David Frost. "It's probably the best, most solid round of golf I've played and on the front nine, the hole was as big as a bucket."
Winner of his first Tour title in Holland last August, Fisher came through the 36-hole British Open qualifier at Sunningdale on Monday and discussed with his manager how much he had left in the tank for this week.
Asked if he considered pulling out, Fisher replied: "I sort of had a thought about it. I was feeling pretty tired, but how do you pull out of an event when you live only 40 minutes away?
"It's pretty difficult to sit at home and watch it on TV, knowing that you are playing well."
While six players were tested on the first day of golf's new anti-doping era, Fisher kicked off with two birdies, did not have to wait long for two more and, after bogeying the short 17th, covered the outward half in 30.
Defending champion Colin Montgomerie, round in 70 himself as he tries to follow up his runners-up finish in France, called Fisher "Nadal-like" for shots such as that.
Montgomerie was disappointed he could not build on being three under after eight - two shots into bunkers cost him bogeys after that - but he still had a better day than British Open champion Padraig Harrington.
Recovering from a stiff neck, Harrington returned a level-par 72 and will need a massive improvement if his last Tour outing before his title defense at Royal Birkdale is to bring him his first victory since Carnoustie.
"I'm happy with my short game and I was as solid as I've been all year on the greens, but I struggled to get distance control," he said.
