Eagle-eyed Lawrie turns on style for record home run

THEY'RE a funny bunch, these Irish golfers. Take Padraig Harrington. He adds next week's Scandinavian Open at Malmo, Sweden, to his schedule because he says he needs to play more tournaments to warrant the work he's put in on the practice ground.

Then there's David Higgins, who would also love to play more golf but finds it difficult to even get on the European Challenge Tour.

Peter Lawrie was rookie of the year in Europe last year but has struggled to find his best form. Things didn't look a whole lot better at two over after nine holes of yesterday's first round of the Nissan Irish Open at sunny Baltray. A couple of hours later, he signs for a five under par 67.

Darren Clarke claims he's perfectly happy after a 70 in conditions made for low numbers.

Paul McGinley, invariably the most genial and co-operative of golfers, blanks writers as he departs after a 73.

Talk about the unpredictable Irish! Harrington began at the 10th yesterday and was two over after four holes on the "easy" front side. Already there were murmurs of successive missed cuts, in a championship that means a great deal to the golfer ranked eighth in the world. That he means a lot to the Irish public was manifested by the presence of the biggest gallery of the day egging him on.

Disappointingly, even he agreed he didn't give them much to cheer about. Level par to the turn is poor because Baltray's front nine contains three reachable par fives. Gains at the 2nd, 6th and 9th were offset by bogeys at the 1st, 4th and 5th.

"I was frazzled for the first five," said Harrington, who practised through the weekend and successive days since under the watchful gaze of his Scottish coach Bob Torrance and worked on his putting over his own personal green back home in Rathmichael until 11pm on Wednesday night.

The fans didn't relent. They hung in there, as did Padraig, until he followed eight successive pars with an eagle at the 18th.

"I hit a little three wood in there from 260 yards to 12 feet and the putt dropped to put a much better gloss on my day," said Harrington.

"I was walking down the 18th thinking had I holed shortish birdie putts on 16 and 17, it would have been a bit of a steal. The early mistakes were all mental, due to doing too much practice. I played wedge six times for my approach shots and finished two over par for those holes."

Leading Irishman Peter Lawrie had a remarkable day. He had good reason to be down in the dumps when starting at the 10th and taking 37, two over, to complete nine holes.

At that point, he admitted to giving himself "a good kicking that I fully deserved" and it was the best therapy imaginable.

"I played really well after that," he said with a degree of understatement because two eagles and three birdies for a homeward and best of his career 30 shots lay in wait.

"I hit a really good three to the 2nd after getting lucky to miss a bunker off the tee. It was about six feet. I parred the next, birdied the next two, and eagled the 6th with driver and seven iron. I played here with Gary [Murphy] on Wednesday and had the same putt. The hole was cut in a similar position, I missed it then, holed it today. I birdied the 8th with a two iron and pitching wedge to 15 feet and holed it up the hill.

"The difference between the two sides was a few putts began to drop. I didn't hit it any differently. The putts give you confidence and making two eagles on one side always helps your scorecard. I'm delighted with myself.

"It's a good start to an Irish Open. I played well at the start last year so hopefully I can stay in there.

"I thought the greens were going to be a little quicker, they were just a nice pace and nothing scary, so it was the Baltray I'm accustomed to.

"You want to do well at home, you have loads of supporters. I probably felt too comfortable and needed a kicking and I got that through the front nine. It woke me up."

David Higgins arrived having won all of his last five pro-am appearances on the PGA Irish Region circuit.

Not surprisingly then, the confidence of the 31-year-old Waterville player was sky high. A bogey six at the 2nd could have been a downer but instead he countered in spectacular fashion with a hat-trick of birdies, followed by an eagle at the 6th where he drilled a five iron to eight feet. He had a second bogey at the 9th but 33 to the turn put him in good heart and he matched par from there home, offsetting a bogey at the 11th with a birdie at the 16th.

"I didn't play all that great but chipped and putted well," he said.

"I knew I was playing well coming here but the pity is that I don't have a good enough card to get on the Challenge Tour. I have had a few appearances and hopefully a few more but I will try for my card at the Tour School."

The Irishmen under par are Lawrie, 5 under; Higgins, 4 under; Harrington and Clarke, 2 under; Damien McGrane and Gary Murphy, one under. Next best are Damian Mooney and John Dwyer, level par and Philip Walton, Neil Manchip, Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley, one over.