Date: April 27, 2007
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Pilkadaris close in Madrid

American Notah Begay holds the clubhouse lead at a rain-soaked Madrid Open but Australian Terry Pilkadaris is just one shot behind with two holes to play in the opening round after fading light brought an early end to day one. Begay, 34, started the tournament with a four-under-par 68 to set the target for the rest of the field, half of whom did not even hit a shot. Four times a winner on the US Tour before suffering chronic back problems and losing his card, Begay entered the European Tour qualifying school last November and came through it in joint sixth place. “When I played the US Tour it was rumoured the weather was bad in Europe and I can testify they were not exaggerating,” he said. “Thankfully the food and the service was great because we did a lot of sitting around.” “I also had to play the course blind because my clubs did not arrive until Tuesday night and I was not in the pro-am.” Also four-under, still with holes to play, are Swede Steven Jeppesen and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy. Pilkadaris is at three-under after 15 holes. He started his round in brilliant fashion with three birdies before giving a shot back on the fourth hole. Ryder Cup pair Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke, both looking for a return to form, finished just after 9pm with scores of 70 and 75 respectively. Without a top 10 finish all season – in Europe or America – McGinley has just slipped outside the world&aposs top 100. However, after waiting two hours to begin his round and managing only one hole before another five-hour delay the 40-year-old Dubliner hardly put a foot wrong on the sodden Centro Nacional course until two bogeys in the last three holes. Clarke is playing his first tournament since his early exit from Augusta – and since suffering a hamstring injury when his younger son Conor tackled him when they were playing football. He was one-under at the turn, but struggled home in 40 with bogeys at both the par fives and the fourth and ninth. McGinley&aposs playing partner Ian Woosnam came in with a 74. The Welshman is still looking for his first pay cheque of the year – and that after making trips to Thailand, Singapore, China and the States. In the first three of those last year&aposs Ryder Cup captain missed the cut, while in the Masters he pulled out just before the start after a recurrence of back trouble. Of the other Australasians who have teed off, New Zealander Steve Alker is one-over after 13 holes, while Aussies Andrew Tampion (74) and Matthew Zions (after 12) are two-over.