Day one of the 114th Irish PGA Championship ended with two unlikely names at the summit but the question is can Michael Allan and Sean O’Donoghue stay afloat at Palmerstown House Estate?
Both players lead by the minimum on three-under-par after rounds of 69 with Eric Byrne (Birr), Liam Power (Rathfarnham), Colm Moriarty (Glasson), Brendan McGovern (Headfort), and Brian Kerley (Ardee) a shot further back. Allan was a surprise name at the top of the leaderboard and he soared to five-under through 15 holes after four birdies, an eagle and a bogey before two bogeys on the 16th and 18th brought him closer to the pack.
He was joined late in the day by Mount Wolseley’s O’Donoghue who carded a flawless back nine of 33 including two birdies in his last three holes in the peak of the blustery conditions.
“I was very patient today, didn’t get off to the best of starts but stuck with it,” said O’Donoghue. “I hit some good golf shots and eventually the putts started dropping. O’Donoghue was pleased with how well he controlled and flighted his golf ball in the swirling wind which bamboozled a few of the players.
“The wind is blustery you have to control your golf ball and make good decisions and I did that very well all day. I did everything well, had to rely on my short game and hit the ball very solid for the most part.”
It’s almost a month to the day since O’Donoghue last competed at the K Club Pro-Am and he feels a rest and reset has benefited him. “Hitting it well all year and I was worried about the lack of competitive rounds but I knew how well I was hitting it so I was fairly confident. Maybe the rest was good but I certainly was hitting the ball very well out there.”
Birr golfer Byrne had the lead on four-under after 16 holes but took a double bogey six on the seventeenth hole to join the pack on two-under which includes Power who fistpumped a closing birdie home for a round of 70 on a day where a niggling back injury impacted his ball striking, but his new putter caught fire and saved him.
“It was probably the worst striking performance I had all year but got a new putter two weeks ago and it’s working. I kept it in play but my striking wasn’t on so I’m delighted.
“I like those rounds where you don’t hit it well so hopefully it can be five or six under tomorrow. I’ve had a back injury so been out of the last two tournaments so even today it’s niggly, better but not 100%.”
Some big names are lurking in the chasing pack including former PGA winner Michael McGeady and Order of Merit leader Tim Rice while Richard Kilpatrick is four shy on plus one.
Three-time PGA winner Damien McGrane and two-time winner and defending champion David Higgins are placed to make a charge on two-over with three-time winner Simon Thornton a shot further back.