UPDATE 2-Golf-McGinley claims PGA lead to boost Ryder Cup hopes

(updates with Oosthuizen joint third in para 13)

By Patrick Johnston

VIRGINIA WATER, England, May 22 (Reuters) - Irishman Paul
McGinley, who resigned as Europe's Ryder Cup vice-captain last
year, boosted his qualification hopes by taking the first-round
lead at the PGA Championship on Thursday.

McGinley stood down as captain Nick Faldo's right-hand man
in September to play his way into the team and showed belated
signs of doing so by firing a seven-under-par 65 at the European
Tour's flagship event at Wentworth.

His 2006 Ryder Cup team mate Swede Robert Karlsson was the
Irishman's nearest challenger after a six-under-par 66.

McGinley, who holed the 2002 Ryder Cup-winning putt in the
first of three consecutive victories he has played in, lies 32nd
on the European points list to qualify for the Sept. 19-21 match
against the U.S.

"I have struggled most of the year with poor first rounds
and I'm thrilled to get away to a good start in the tournament
as it's a long time since I have done that," McGinley told
reporters after his round.

McGinley's 65 beat the previous best of 66 set last year by
Briton Paul Broadhurst since South Africa's Ernie Els lengthened
the course by 300 yards in 2005. The old course record of 63 was
last equalled by Australian Jarrod Moseley in 2002.

OLD STYLE

McGinley notched his first birdie of a bogey-free round at
the par-five fourth and followed that up with a three at the
par-four ninth.

Two more birdies came on the two par-three's at 10 and 14
either side of a four at the par-five 12th. The 41-year-old
finished with birdies at the closing pair of par five holes.

Asked how the course was playing, McGinley said: "It's very
tricky. It's hard and fast and I feel it's a real test of golf."

"You are not tested enough on course management on a lot of
the courses we play but today was old style golf, links golf,
this is what the game was initially designed around and I revel
in it."

The tall Karlsson, fourth on the Ryder Cup European points
list, birdied the last for his sixth birdie in a bogey-free
round as he looks to end a near two-year trophy drought.

"I played very well," he said. "It's a bit of a funny
course. When it plays short, the way it does now, quite bouncy,
its a lot trickier. So you have got to play it very, very
patiently and, hopefully, knock in a few puts and I did today."

South African Louis Oosthuizen and Australian Marcus Frazer
are a further shot back after carding five-under-par 67s.

Frazer entered the final round last year in a share of third
but a 78 ended his chances of victory on the Sunday.

"I was disappointed to finish off with a bad round last
year, but with it (the course) bouncing like this it gives me a
bit of an advantage."

There were plenty of high-profile strugglers on day one with
twice U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen of South Africa firing a
four-over-par 76 matched by Order of Merit holder Briton Justin
Rose.

World number three Els fared one shot better at three-over
alongside title holder Anders Hansen.

U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera recovered after a dismal
start in which he bogeyed the first five holes to card a 73, a
score matched by three times PGA Championship winner Colin
Montgomerie.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)