David Higgins leads the Smurfit PGA Irish Championship at Adare Manor after today's first round.
The Waterville man fired a remarkable six birdies in the final eight holes to post a four-under-par 68. He leads by one shot from Cathal Barry.
Defending champion Paul McGinley carded two double bogeys in a 71 for a share of third place with John Dwyer, Donal McSweeney, Michael Hoey and Brendan McGovern.
Higgins, starting on the back nine, bogeyed the 14th and 17th and reached the turn two over par but he fine tuned his game on the inward nine to climb to the top of the leaderboard.
Birdies at the second, third and fourth took him to one under par and he built on that with another three birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth.
68D Higgins (Waterville G.L.)
69C Barry (Paddock Wood DR)
71M Hoey (Unattached); J Dwyer (Ashbourne); P McGinley (The K Club); DMcSweeney (Limerick County); B McGovern (Headfort)
72N Graham (Massereene); J Bolger (Kilkenny)
73J Murray (Malahide); E Tracey (Enniscrone); J Dignam (Slade Valley);F Howley (Ballyliffin); D Mooney (Laganview Golf Ctr); L Bowler (St.Helen's Bay); K Morris (Fota Island)
74J.P. Dolan (Charleville); G Murphy (Heritage Golf & C. C.); F Dwyer(Celbridge DR); R Giles (Geenmore); N Manchip (Royal Dublin G.C.)
75P Gray (Holywood); P O'Rourke (Blackbush); C McMonagle (Unattached);A Thomas (Faithlegg); G Robinson (Unattached); J Kelly (Overseas); B Hamill(Golf Academy DR); P Jones (Coollattin)
76T Mullally (Royal Portrush); H Ewing (Carlow); P Farrell (Ardglass);W O'Callaghan (Fernhill Golf & C.C.); G Loughrey (Unattached); P O'Hagan(The K Club); C Mallon (North West); J Heggarty (Spawell D.R.)
77B Kelleher (Ballybunion); E Doyle (Heritage Golf & C.C.); T Rice(Limerick); P Hanna (Fortwilliam); P Martin (Belvoir Pk); E Logue (HiltonTemplepatrick); J Byrne (Royal Tara); S Clinton (National G. A.); M Bannon(Bangor); E Doyle (Heritage Golf & C.C.)
78K O'Donnell (Newlands); D Walker (Foxrock); G McShea (Rossmore); LRobinson (Donegal); N Howley (Blackbush); S Kirkpatrick (Ardee); H O'Neill(Connemara); D Mortimer (Newlands); P Russell (Allen Park); B Kerley(Dundalk); J McHenry (The K Club); C Lyttle (Galgorm Castle)
79E McLoughlin (Wicklow); R Creamer (Unattached); M Collins(Charleville); L Owens (Royal Dublin); D Costigan (Island)
80D Lavelle (Unattached); S Hamill (Lisburn); K Padayachee (Ashbourne);G Fairweather (Knock); G Madden (Galway G.C.); S Thornton (Royal Co Down);S Deegan (Grange); G Burke (The Curragh)
81P Stevenson (Portadown); G Hinds (Royal Dublin); D Ryan (Cork); LWalker (Dundalk); M Allan (Leopardstown G.C.); S O'Grady (Black Bush); PMcGuirk (Co. Louth)
82M O'Donovan (Pointers DR); G Jones (Tipperary); L McCool (SleiveRussell)
83S Hoey (Paddock Wood DR); C McElderry (Royal Co Down); D McEvoy(Ardglass); A Reid (Scrabo); M Murphy (Retired); D McQuillan (CountySligo)
84G Chambers (Killymoon); M Sludds (Enniscorthy); P Duignan(Charlesland), D Byrne (Hermitage)
85D Hayes (Dungarvan); P Collins (Galgorm Castle); E McEneaney (Ardee);S Whelan (Athenry)
86J Sugrue (Kinsale); K Holmes (Greystones); J Coyle (Adare Manor); DCarroll (Seapoint)
87P Morris (Wexford)
95D Leigh (Grange)