Red-hot shooting as Finn Kakko fires record 63
Nevertheless, the standard of golf displayed by the young stars on the European Tour's secondary circuit was nothing short of astonishing on a par 72 course measuring more than 7,000 yards.
Leading the way after a nine under par 63 is the 23 year-old Finn Roope Kakko and in establishing a course record for the Donald Steel designed lay-out, he opened up a two stroke advantage over the Scot, Peter Whitefield and Peter Kaensche from Norway.
Red figures abounded with 68 players finishing on one under par or better. Indeed, anybody failing to break the 70 mark will find it difficult to play catch up over the next three days while it may be necessary to finish no worse than even par to be sure of being among the top sixty ties who'll be around for the weekend.
Although he managed no better than a two under par round himself, the home favourite, David Higgins from just down the road at Waterville, was by no means dismayed and believes he can shoot the kind of score that will bring him right back into contention.
For now, though, the Irish challenge is led by the little-known Peter Williamson, a former assistant at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin, and Colm Moriarty of Athlone, both on four under 68. Padraig Dooley of Cork is also nicely placed after a 69.
Kakko has the distinction of winning a professional tournament while still an amateur. It happened in last year's Volvo Finnish Open but he has found things a little more difficult since joining the paid ranks and indeed was no better than 49th on the Challenge Tour order of merit going into this week.
His only previous visit to this country was for the 2004 Irish Amateur Open in which he came 5th at Carton House.
"I enjoyed my time in Ireland where I found the people very friendly so I was very happy to have the chance to come back," he enthused.
Kakko birdied the first from six feet, the second from four. At the long 3rd, he cracked "a rescue club as hard as I could and it got the lucky bounce it needed to finish five feet from the hole". He sank that one, too, and when a 12 footer dropped at the 4th, he was five under and close to a state of shock!
He might have been excused had he allowed a bogey at the short 5th to quell his momentum but he felt he played the remaining holes better than he had the opening four. Further birdies followed at the 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th and another escaped at the 18th where he misread a seven foot putt.
Colm Moriarty enjoyed a great Nissan Irish Open at Carton House where he eventually tied for 11th place.
Sixty-ninth in the Challenge Tour order of merit with 10,679 was something of a disappointment for a golfer of his talents going into this week but the 26 year-old was pleased with the way he played yesterday for 68, a round that contained five birdies and one bogey, pointing out that "it was not that easy out there, okay so it might be wide open but it's a long course.
"I had chances but didn't miss any short putts either and now I'm hoping for a good start when going out early in the morning."
Cork's Padraig Dooley has been concentrating almost exclusively on the Europro Tour which holds 20 tournaments throughout Europe, most of them in Britain, and which offers a minimum of five places on the Challenge Tour for the following year.
He has been performing solidly while also ruing the fact that he not been able to string three rounds together so far. Yesterday's 69 puts him in the right frame of mind for the rest of the week as he birdied the 3rd, 7th and 9th for an outward 33 and immediately cancelled out a lone bogey at the 12th with an immediate gain at 13.
"I played quite well today," said the 30 year-old Dooley. "My aim for 2005 is to win a tournament on the Europro Tour.
"I'm around 50th in the order of merit and a win would change all that. The prize money is top heavy, it's like ten grand for the winner but as little as £600 for 15th. But the life is great fun, travelling around with a lot of good pals and I'm very happy with that."
David Higgins went into the event in 2nd place on the Challenge Tour money list and hopeful of a fruitful week on his home patch. He admitted that he "would love to win in Ireland and so close to home. I was only average today but I know there's a good score on and I need four or five under to get back into it."
Michael Hoey, the other Irishman shaping up well in the order of merit he was 10th starting the week had a disappointing 73 and given the standard of yesterday's scoring, might event experience difficulty in making the cut.
Six amateurs nominated by the Golfing Union of Ireland are participating and best to date are Aaron O'Callaghan of Douglas and Mervyn Owens of Mallow. O'Callaghan shot five birdies and three bogeys while Owens improved on par four times while making two concessions to the course.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
