GOLF: NORTHERN IRELAND'S Michael Hoey, making his first appearance since edging out countrymen Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to win the Dunhill Links Championship by two shots at St Andrews over a fortnight ago, is just three off the pace set by England's Ross McGowan in the Castello Masters in Spain.
McGowan, fighting for his European Tour future, began the event with a seven-under-par 64. A year after his bid for a Ryder Cup debut was scuppered by a wrist injury, the 29-year-old is only 163rd on the money list and has slumped from 63rd in the world to 543rd.
Needing things to go his way, he sank his four-iron approach to the 503-yard 17th for an eagle two and also had five birdies in a flawless display that left him two ahead of early leader Fabrizio Zanotti and late finisher Richard McEvoy of England, and three in front of a group that includes Hoey, Spain’s Sergio Garcia and South African George Coetzee.
“There’s something about Spain I like,” McGowan said. “Probably because my shoulder enjoys some sun on it. This course suits me, too, because I don’t have to hit many drivers. My shoulder doesn’t like the strain. I’ve found plenty of uses for the four wedges in my bag, though.”
Hoey was leading at one point after picking up shots at the 11th, 13th and 14th to supplement three consecutive birdies from the seventh. However, he dropped back with a bogey and double bogey at th 16th and 17th, though a birdie at the last meant he signed for a 67.
Damien McGrane is two adrift of Hoey after a 69, while Gareth Maybin and Peter Lawrie are one over and two over respectively. Back-to-back double-bogeys at seven and eight for Shane Lowry set the tone for the rest of his round and despite a birdie at 13 he signed for a 78.
Garcia was grouped with defending champion Matteo Manassero and England’s Tom Lewis – only 18 and 20 respectively – and it was the Italian who made the fastest start with four successive birdies.
But Manassero had to settle for a two-under 69 in the end, while Lewis, who captured the Portugal Masters in only his third professional start on Sunday, had a level-par 71.
Garcia was just one over at the turn, but then covered the front nine in a five-under 31 with birdies at the second, fourth, fifth, seven and ninth.
That would have taken him into a share of the early lead with Coetzee but for the fact that Zanotti, chasing his first European Tour title, had five birdies in a row from the 11th in his 66.
Garcia won this event three years ago on his way to becoming world number two at the end of the following year. “The course is more difficult than in previous years,” he said. “So I was pleased to be five-under on the back nine to get into contention.
“It was a slow start, but the par putt on one (his 10th hole) was huge and then I got going.”
Lewis, feeling under the weather with a virus, turned in three over, had four successive birdies from the fifth, but then went over his final green and bogeyed.
McGowan will not be taking anything for granted, however. A fortnight ago he started the Madrid Masters with another 64 and led there as well, only to fall all the way back to 42nd.
Without a single top 15 finish all season he said: “It’s nice to be playing well again and up in contention. I’m not really thinking about the Race to Dubai at the moment. I’m just trying to play each shot at a time and put up a good result at the end of the week.” On the eagle he added: “I wasn’t sure it had gone in. I heard one clap, got up there and found it in the hole.”
Colin Montgomerie kept a bogey off his card like McGowan, but only one birdie meant a 70, while playing partner John Daly finished with back-to-back double bogeys for a 73.
