Fresh off his recent victory at the Irish PGA Championship at Palmerstown House Estate, Niall Kearney carried that momentum into the opening round of the Clutch Pro Tour event at Frilford Heath in Oxford, and his opening 68 was matched by Rowan Lester and the duo occupy a share for fourth place after round one.
The 131-man field tackled Frilford Heath’s Blue Course on day one, and Kearney was quick out of the blocks with an opening birdie on 10, but lost the momentum as bogeys on 14, 17 and 18 to just one more birdie on 15 saw him turn at +1.
Another bogey on the first moved him to +2, but he then proceeded to catch fire on the closing eight, reeling off birdies on two, four, six and seven, before an eagle-three on eight moved him to -4 and that’s how he’d reach the clubhouse.
Lester began 40 minutes after Kearney, but on the other side of the course and his day was a little more consistent. Just the one bogey at four was sandwiched by birdies on three and five, and another on eight helped him to a two-under tally at halfway. After five pars to start the back nine, he eagled the par-5 15th, then closed out with three more pars to join Kearney at four-under, and they’d end the day tied for fifth, two shots off the lead.
Stuart Grehan is next best of the Irish and the only other to end the day in red figures after trading three birdies and two bogeys for a one-under score that sees him sitting T39, with Liam Grehan and Rory Williamson finishing the day on +1, tied for 63rd.
John Ross Galbraith, Ignatius McGuinness, Scott Montgomery and Robert Moran all have their work cut out to make the 36-hole cut after the former duo shot matching 74s, Montgomery shot 76 and Moran a disappointing 77.
Matty Lamb and Kris Kim lead the way on -6, one clear of John Gough and Toby Hunt, with Kearney and Lester among 11 lying tied for fifth at -4.