GOLF/International Open: Padraig Harrington signed his card twice yesterday. Three years ago, when leading by five after three rounds, he was disqualified for not signing one of them once and that is a memory that may fade but will never be forgotten.

Harrington can atone for his disqualification three years ago after moving to within a shot of the lead.

The Irish Ryder Cup player said he had had to "work hard" for his first-round five-under-par 67, but it took him to within a stroke of early front-runner David Dixon of England.

It was at the same Belfry venue - also scene of Europe's 2002 Ryder Cup triumph, of which he was part - where in 2000 it was discovered Harrington had failed to sign for his opening round 71 and, after going on to break the course record, was disqualified just before going out in the final round, five strokes ahead of the field.

Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal went on to win the tournament, and even Harrington's course record 64 was expunged, the only bad memory he still holds.

After yesterday's opening 67 Harrington made a plea to European Tour bosses. "I want my course record recognised," he said.

Harrington feels an injustice was done after he was disqualified from the 2000 event. The world number 10 has no complaints about being thrown out when it was discovered he had forgotten to sign his first-round scorecard, but saw no reason to expunge his brilliant Saturday performance.

Barry Lane and Adam Scott are listed as the joint record-holders with 65s from last year, but Harrington said: "Course records are nice things to have and I can't understand why mine is not recognised. It was a competitive round."

The 31-year-old Dubliner was taking no chances of omitting to sign for this year's card, which included a pitch-in eagle and four birdies after he had bogeyed the second.

Last August leader Dixon received the rollicking of his young life from his manager Chubby Chandler. "I told him he was lazy," Chandler admitted, "that he wasn't working hard enough, that he had to lose weight, live a methodical life and do all the things that the good players do."

That finger-wagging tirade had its effect. Yesterday Dixon played the difficult Brabazon course in 66, one ahead of Harrington and two of the holder Angel Cabrera and the 2001 winner Henrick Stenson.

Four birdies and two eagles countered two bogeys, the eagles coming at the third and 15th holes, hitting driver and then three-wood both times and holing from 18 and 15 feet.

Back in Chandler's office last August part of the harangue concerned Harrington. Dixon was told: "You could do worse than look at Padraig. He's not the most talented on tour but he's achieved what he's achieved by working harder at the game than almost anyone."

That was evident again yesterday when the Dubliner 10 said that he had spent three weeks working on an aspect of his game, only to find that all he had done was perfect a fault and had to begin all over again this week.

As a result, he felt that yesterday's 67 was more mechanical than natural, although this perpetually dissatisfied golfer did confess to having missed only one fairway. He also admitted that he hit a pretty decent chip to birdie the long 15th.

Lying on hard ground to the left of the green, on a downslope, with a hump in front of him and a green that ran away from him, he had a spot the size of a sixpence on which to pitch. He hit it, the ball ran to within 18 inches of the hole and afterwards he said: "It's things like that which make all the hard work worthwhile."

It was not a good day for the rest of the Irish with Paul McGinley next best on 73. McGinley stared badly and was three over after four, but covered the rest in two under par.

Peter Lawrie, after his second place finish in the Spanish Open two weeks ago, is on two over 74, the same mark as Gary Murphy with Ronan Rafferty a shot back on 75.

Lawrie went to the turn in level par but a eagle three at the 15th compensated for four dropped shots.

However, Darren Clarke will need to shoot some very low numbers today if he is to make the halfway cut.

Three bogies and two double bogies at the 12 and 18th left him on five over par 77 and 11 shots behind leader Dixon.

Clarke was one under after three but dropped shots at the fourth, sixth and eighth in an outward half of one over par 37. But the real damage came with the two double bogeys on the way home.