23 May 2006

 

Damien McGrane recovered from the rain-sodden Nissan Irish Open to shoot a sizzling 67 in yesterday's opening round of the €55,000 Quinn Direct Charity Trophy for a two shots overnight lead.

 

It is quite a boost that McGrane has given himself for this week's BMW Championship at Wentworth.

 

"I wasn't happy with my putting at Carton House so I changed this morning to a New Compromise and it worked very well. My form this season has been up and down and I'm glad to shoot a score like this," commented the Kells man

 

The leader carded a blemish-free five birdie round. After starting on the 10th tee, he rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at 12 and narrowly missed an eagle at 13 as he two-stabbed from four feet. On the front nine the former Wexford Club pro rifled a nine iron to one foot for birdie three and then steered a four-iron tee-shot to six feet for a two.

 

At the long ninth hole, the leader was on the green with a drive and five wood and got down in two stabs for his fifth birdie.

 

Last year's winner Stephen Browne posted a 69 that included four birdies and one bogey. Browne finished his fourth round in the Irish Open yesterday morning - he had three holes to play - and then drove immediately to Slieve Russell to begin the defence of his Quinn Direct crown.

 

Dubliner Browne is nicely poised to retain his title but with the form that McGrane showed in the first round of the 36-holes tournament he will be difficult to stop.