Rowan Lester’s opening three-under 69 sees the Hermitage man share fourth place on day one of the Clutch Pro Tour’s Tier One event at Bowood Golf Club in Wiltshire in southern England.
In total, eight Irish made the trip to the county best known for the historic Stonehenge site, and Lester, who was among the late starters, mixed two early birdies with two bogeys on his outward nine to turn in level-par. Another birdie on 10 was cancelled out with a bogey on 12, but he’d birdie three of the closing six to move to -3 on the day.
Robert Brazill and Liam Grehan both shot rounds of one-under to end day one in a share of 22nd, while Niall Kearney and Paul Dunne have work to do to make the 36-hole cut after rounds of 73 and 74 respectively.
John Hickey is next best at +3, while Conor Murtagh and Scott Montgomery look destined to miss the cut as both are well off the pace.
Englishman Curtis Griffiths from the Wentworth club set the early pace with a bogey-free six-under that sees him one shot clear of fellow countryman Daniel Smith who made seven birdies and two bogeys.
Ryan Harmer makes it an all English trio at the head of affairs, with Lester part of eight-strong grouping three back at -4.