Harrington starts well at the Wyndham

Padraig Harrington's slim hopes of making the end-of-season FedEx Cup play-offs are still alive after the first round of the Wyndham Championship.

The three-time major champion faces a tough task to qualify, needing to win or come second this weekend to vault himself into the top 125 on the points list.

The Dubliner carded a four-under-par round although he lies five shots off the lead.

Matt Every signed for a stunning nine-under 61, the American slowly making his comeback from a case of the driving 'yips'.

Having won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in 2015 and 2016, Every's form had plummeted since then leading to him considering quitting the game.

However, he hung in there and showed his class to take a one-shot lead into day two, with Henrik Stenson in second spot.

Seamus Power needs a good finish this week to secure his place in the FedEx top 125, shooting a three-under 67.

The Waterford man sits in 123rd place at the moment.

Shane Lowry meanwhile, matched Power's round and is in desperate need of a high finish to ensure his season doesn't end prematurely.

The Offaly golfer is 145th in the FedEx rankings so has plenty of work to do over the weekend.

For Every though it was a welcome return to form and he spoke afterwards about the effect the driving 'yips' has had on his game.

"I would just stop [when swinging]. My body just stopped and [the ball] would go either straight right or way left," he said. 

"I watched the PGA at home. That sucked, he said. I don't go to bed at night saying there are 144 guys better than me playing.

"I have a high regard for my talent so I couldn’t let myself quit."

2012 US Open winner Webb Simpson is among a host of players who are two shots off the lead on -7.

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