Michael Campbell thought it all a little bit odd yesterday when Lee Westwood was introduced as the defending champion by the starter, yet no reference was made to Retief Goosen's recent victory in the US Open. Not odd enough, it must be said, to befuddle the Kiwi's mind.

In fact, Campbell - or "Cambo" as those who frequent his website call him - outscored both of his playing partners to form the last part of a five-piece jigsaw at the top of the first round leaderboard in the Smurfit European Open here.

On the sort of day that golfers get down on their knees to pray for, with a breeze varying between one of the gentle variety and that which refreshed, and the sun only escaping from grey skies only late on, no one body managed to go mad and run away from the field.

Instead, an early log-jam developed on five-under-par 67 and, despite some posturing from the late starters, no one managed to break up the pile.

Campbell was the last to sign for that score - acknowledging it would have been even better if he had managed to birdie either of the two Par fives in his final three holes - but even he wasn't getting greedy.

"It really could have been a great score, but I'm not complaining," he said, after starting his round with four birdies in five holes to eventually join Massimo Scarpa, Henrik Bjornstad, Mikael Lundberg and Maarten Lafeber on that mark.

While Campbell is the obvious quality player of the quintet, and Scarpa hardly deserved the "not bad for an Italian" comment from a local radio man that was overheard by the player - who was not amused - as he passed the broadcast booth, the scene is set for some fascinating golf for the remaining 54 holes, with Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie among those loitering with intent just a shot adrift.

And, yet, if you don't drive the ball well around this course, then it will gobble you up. Jose Maria Olazabal needs no reminding of that. Olazabal was forced to hit a provisional ball off the very first tee, and found only four fairways in a thoroughly miserable round - signing for a 79 - and his playing companion Montgomerie admitted it was "a shame" to see him in such dire straits.

"I feel for him because he is a better player than that. He was getting dejected over the driver, not putting the ball on or near the fairways. I feel for him. He knows he can do better, we know he can do better, but he just isn't able to . . . it is a shame right now," the Scot said.

Elsewhere, there was other heartbreak as the course - with its demanding lines off the tee and tough rough to punish any wayward shots - showed its teeth. In particular, the 17th hole (which normally plays as the eighth for the members) that runs alongsi de the River Liffey has grown from a pussy cat into a lion. Yesterday, Francisco Cea was devoured there, registering a nine, and it ended the day as the hardest ranked hole on the course with an average of 4.39.

The professionals can thank their fellow tour player, Paul McGinley, for transforming that hole which Montgomerie described as "one of the most difficult we have". A new tee-box has been constructed further back on the riverbank on McGinley's his suggestion for the very purpose of causing some dramatics.

And Andrew Coltart seemed set to conquer when birdieing three of the first four holes only to be brought crashing back down to earth with two double-bogeys in his next three holes.

So, it was mightily impressive that six players - Campbell, Clarke, Montgomerie, Lundberg, Mathias Gronberg and Erol Simsek - could manage to reach the recorder's hut to sign with nothing worse than a par on their cards, while Anthony Wall showed how fickle the game can be by holing out for an ace with a four-iron on the 209-yard 14th, only to give the shots back immediately by double-bogeying the 15th.

Campbell's error-free round was probably the most accomplished of all, in that the greens had firmed up by the time he completed his day's work - and made all the more remarkable in that he ditched his trusty four-year-old clubs for a brand new set (Callaway X14s) and a new Nike ball that doesn't spin as much as his old one.

Although surprised that Goosen, who completed his first competitive round since his US Open win with a 69, wasn't announced as the winner of that major by the starter - something Campbell felt was "bizarre" - the Kiwi had a remarkable front nine that featured five birdies and another two putts that lipped out in turning in 30, before reeling off nine successive pars on the homeward run as if he had produced enough fireworks for one day.

Goosen, meanwhile, found it hard to readjust to the slow greens after those he had experienced at Southern Hills.

"I don't think I am back down on the planet yet," he remarked. Yet, he was sufficiently composed to finish up just two shots behind the quintet at the head of affairs.

And, as recent history around the K Club shows, it is not always those at the head of the pack on the first day who end up taking the honours. This time round, a newly-created Waterford Crystal trophy, will be awarded to the champion. The race for it is still wide open.