Put it down to some home comforts, for a plethora of Irish players – headed by Conor Purcell – swung their way straight into the business end of proceedings in the Irish Challenge on the South Course at The K Club on what could prove to be a very important week for many in terms of advancing their causes for full tour cards.
Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach made the most of ideal conditions at the Straffan venue to post a course record 64 to claim the outright lead, but Dubliner Purcell – currently 83rd on the order of merit – signed for a bogey-free 65 to be among a group of three just one stroke adrift after the first round at the iconic Straffan venue.
Purcell, a former Walker Cup player who has been dividing his time between the Challenge Tour and the mini-tours in his bid to break through to the main circuit, produced a round of an eagle and five birdies to get straight into the mix.
All in all, it proved to be a good day for the Irish contingent. Cork’s John Murphy signed for a 66 and Ulsterman Tom McKibbin opened with a 67 to also be inside the top-10, while Paul McBride, recent Alps Tour winner Gary Hurley, and amateur Rob Moran, all featured inside the top-15 with 68s.
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Girrbach, winner of the 2017 Swiss Challenge, has only two top-10s in his last 40 starts on the Challenge Tour but put that run of form behind him with an impressive opening round to finish a stroke clear of Purcell, Italy’s Stefano Mazzoli and French player Gary Stal.
On the DP World Tour, however, the Irish contingent struggled to get into the mix in the Hero Open at the Fairmont St Andrews Links in Scotland. Sean Crocker, a 26-year-old born in Zimbabwe but a naturalised American, set the course record with a 63 to lead the way, with Niall Kearney best of the Irish after signing for a 68 which had him in tied-37th.
The highlight of Kearney’s round was an eagle two on the par-four seventh hole, his 16th of the round, where he holed from 60 feet and he also featured a hat-trick of birdies to start, from the 10th, as the Dubliner – finally getting a round of tournaments in – bids to make an impact in his quest to secure a full tour card for the 2023 season.
Simon Thornton, who primarily plays on the Irish PGA circuit, was also inside the cut line with an opening 69 that had him in tied-60th. But the rest of the Irish players face an uphill battle to make the cut with Jonny Caldwell opening with a 70 (tied-82nd), David Carey, at the venue where he was leading qualifier for the 150th Open, a 71 (tied-108th), Paul Dunne a 72 (tied-128th) and Cormac Sharvin a 75 (tied-152nd).
In the Trust Scottish Women’s Open at Dundonald Links, South Korea’s Hye-Hin Choi opened with a course record 64 to lead by one from the trio of Celine Boutier of France, American Lilia Vu and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.
Stephanie Meadow, the only Irish player in the field and gearing up for next week’s AIG Women’s Open, the final Major of the season, opened her tournament with an opening round of level-par 72 to sit on the cut bubble.
