Aug3 Casey
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Paul Casey made a sparkling start to his WGC Bridgestone Invitational challenge in Ohio, carding a three-under par 67 on his way to a share of the lead.
The 30-year-old Englishman is tied at the top of the leaderboard with American Hunter Mahan and South African Rory Sabbatini.
But defending champion Tiger Woods, who has won the event five times in the last eight years, is ominously poised in a group at two-under which also includes Lee Westwood.
The world number one said: “I hit the ball pretty good, just had a couple of loose ones and my short game was decent. I thought I had a pretty good touch on the greens.”
But newly-crowned Open champion Padraig Harrington, competing in his first event since the Carnoustie triumph, slumped to a two-over par 72.
The 35-year-old said: “It was a hard day for me, I worked hard for the score. 72 is not a bad return but I didn’t hit enough fairways. I am still in the tournament.”
Before the start of Thursday’s first round, world number two Jim Furyk pulled out of the event with a back injury.
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