VIRGINIA WATER, England, 15 October 2004 — Defending champion Ernie Els recovered from a sluggish start to lead Briton Scott Drummond by two holes with two to play after a rain-swept opening day of the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth yesterday.

The world No. 2, seeking a record sixth victory in the tournament, trailed Drummond by a hole at the halfway point but found his form to move to the brink of victory when bad light ended play.

The start of the tournament was delayed by two and a half hours due to overnight rain and only one of the eight first-round matches was completed, US Open champion Retief Goosen romping to a record 12&11 victory over American Jeff Maggert.

World No. 1 Vijay Singh was two down to European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer after 26 of their scheduled 36 holes.

Drummond fired four birdies to stay ahead throughout the opening 18 holes before Els found his range with birdies on the 20th and 21st greens and the South African chipped in at the 22nd to match his opponent’s eagle.

Els moved three holes ahead with a birdie on the 27th but Drummond refused to lie down, sinking a 10-foot birdie putt to cut the deficit and making par at the 16th to take the contest into a second day.

Singh, who ended Tiger Woods’ five-year reign as world number one last month, struggled to reproduce the form which has brought him eight tournament victories this year. Langer led narrowly over the early holes before the Fijian’s birdie at the 17th left them all square at the halfway point.

The 47-year-old German fired four birdies in quick succession to open up a three-hole advantage before Singh struck back with a par at the eighth to retain hope of a second triumph in the tournament.

Goosen surged into a healthy lead as Maggert bogeyed five of the opening seven holes and the South African led by a record-equaling 10 at the halfway point.

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera led Korean K.J.Choi by one hole with three to play, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and American Chris Riley were all square after 32 holes, Mike Weir of Canada and Frenchman Thomas Levet were also level after 32, and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and American Steve Flesch were locked together after 26.

Garcia Shares Clubhouse

Lead in Rain-Hit Mallorca

Sergio Garcia lived up to his favorite status when the world number 11 took a share of the Mallorca Classic first round lead with compatriot Carlos Rodiles on a stormy day yesterday.

Players were called in twice because of thunderstorms before the joint leaders shot rounds of four-under-par 66 that gave them a one-shot clubhouse lead, though 60 players from the field of 126 still have to finish their first round.

Garcia spurned the chance to play for a $1.9 million first prize in the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth in England to appear in Pula and ensure he fulfils his mandatory 11 European Tour events for the season.

Rodiles has had to battle back to the sort of form that earned him second place in last year’s Volvo Masters after a playoff with Swede Fredrik Jacobson.