The final DP World Tour Q-School First Stage Qualifiers are taking place in Denmark and France this week and of the eight Irish in action, it’s Royal Dublin amateur Max Kennedy who was fastest from the traps.
Kennedy is competing at Denmark’s Horsens Golf Club in Jutland, alongside Mark Power, Liam Nolan and David Kitt, with three of the four currently on pace to advance to Stage Two.
Playing in the afternoon wave, Kennedy carded seven birdies in his opening round, making two before the turn and then five in his final seven holes with a solitary bogey the only blot on his copybook.
It leaves him tied for sixth at six-under, and he’ll have the benefit of freshly rolled greens and prime scoring conditions when he goes out for round two.
It’s a cliche that great rounds often start with a bogey, but good rounds seldom start with a double on a par-5, but that’s exactly how Power’s played out.
Back-to-back birdies got him back to level-par through three, but in an up-and-down round that would feature just seven pars, he found himself at one-over standing on the 15th tee. Back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 got him back into the red and there was still time for a grandstand finish and an eagle-three at the last was just what the doctor ordered. It got him into the clubhouse at -3 for the day.
Nolan matched Power’s tally, but his round was the polar opposite, starting in sublime fashion with an eagle, but he’d par 14 of the following seven, mixing in two birdies and a single bogey to join his Walker Cup compatriot in a tie for 16th.
Athenry amateur Kitt is still in with a chance but from level-par and tied for 44th, will likely need two low rounds in the remaining three if he’s to advance to Second Stage.
Meanwhile, in the qualifier at Golf de Lery Poses in France, a heavily weather affected opening day saw just half the field complete their first rounds and Ronan Mullarney is the best of the Irish quartet at -1, provisionally tied for sixth. But the Galway man will be disappointed to have bogeyed the par-5 17th having made it to -2 through 10 holes with two par-5s to come.
Conor O’Rourke is two further adrift at +1, while Jack Madden has left himself a stern uphill task after carding a four-over 76.
Tim Rice was among the late starters who only managed to get a couple of holes in before play was suspended for darkness and he’ll return early in the morning, hoping for a clear run at a day that’ll see him play the best part of 36 holes.