The Dubliner began the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Hamburg with a superb seven-under-par 65.

Tiger Woods, winner of the trophy for the last two years and also in 1999, managed a 69 as Harrington lived up to the world number one’s pre-tournament comment that “it seems every single week Paddy’s up there”.

Harrington, runner-up for the 19th time in his career in the Benson and Hedges International Open at The Belfry last Sunday, went to lunch three ahead of Ryder Cup team-mate Darren Clarke, Scot Andrew Coltart, French pair Raphael Jacquelin and Christian Cevaer, and Dane Anders Hansen.

He was off and running with a 25-foot putt on his third hole of the day, the 434-yard 12th, and, untroubled it seemed by the Fusarium patch disease which has affected all 18 greens at Gut Kaden, he had further birdies at the 13th, 15th and 16th to turn in 32.

The next came on the long third and then he finished with two more as Woods, bogey-free as well all day, had to content himself with just one more birdie on the front nine in the windy conditions.

Clarke removed his shoes and socks and rolled up his trouser legs to splash out of the edge of a lake at the long sixth – part of an adventurous day which saw him have three bogeys, but also seven birdies.

Harrington, whose lead was trimmed to two when Clarke also finished with two birdies for a 67, said: "I got to the stage where I didn't bother to read the putts - good or bad they were going in.

“Last Sunday I couldn’t make anything, so what a difference a few days makes. But I really struggled off the tee big-time – I hardly hit a fairway and for some reason was not generating much power.”

As for playing with Woods he added: “I would hope I am professional enough that I will perform whoever I’m paired with. But as it was Thursday I was reasonably relaxed, so I looked at what he was doing.”