Australian Tony Carolan bizarrely sacked his caddie en route to claiming a share of the first-round lead at the inaugural Ballantine's Championship on Thursday. “He was jiggling clubs while I was putting,” Carolan told reporters after matching Finn Mikko Ilonen's five-under-par 67 on the island of Jeju. “He kept moving too and he also had soft spikes on so he wasn't allowed on the greens. “He was terrible. I just told him to go (after four holes). I'm paying him $160 a day and he couldn't walk on the greens.” British Open champion Padraig Harrington and world number five K.J. Choi fired 71s in the first European Tour event to be played in South Korea. Carolan and Ilonen produced good rounds in gusting winds at Pinx Golf Club to open a one-stroke lead over a group of 10 players at the $2.9 million tournament. “The last two weeks I've been sick, in Malaysia and India,” said Ilonen. “I played four rounds in each tournament and had no energy whatsoever. Now I feel better for the first time in a month.” Ireland's Paul McGinley and emerging American Anthony Kim, whose Korean ancestry has triggered media interest, were among the chasing pack on 68. Indian pair Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh also opened with 68s along with Britons Graeme McDowell and Simon Griffiths, Japan's Shingo Katayama, Thai Prayad Marksaeng, Australian Scott Hend and Hwang Inn-choon of South Korea. American Chris DiMarco showed signs of breaking out of his recent form slump until a double-bogey at the par-four 18th meant he slipped to two under. Harrington, attempting to kick-start his year after a frustrating start, has an excellent record in Asia with wins in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The Irishman toiled in the blustery conditions but kept in touch with the leaders by fashioning back-to-back birdies on his last two holes. Choi's round included a run-in with an ant hill, resulting in a double-bogey at the par-four seventh that left Korea's most successful golfer hopping mad. After a wild tee shot came to rest near an ant hill, Choi said the insects were stinging fire ants, which, like bees or snakes, would entitle him to a free drop. Tournament officials, however, politely informed Choi that fire ants did not exist on Jeju and he had to take a penalty. “It looked like there were a bunch of fire ants, which would have been dangerous,” said Choi. “But they made me take a (penalty) drop and then it rolled down to another bad spot.” __
