McGrane and Lawrie in contention in China

IRELAND’s Damien McGrane and Peter Lawrie are three shots off the lead after the opening round of the Volvo China Open.

Thongchai Jaidee defied a niggling elbow injury to card a superb bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to share a two-shot first round lead alongside Korea’s Kim Do-hoon.

Volvo China Open 2008 champion McGrane thrived in the cold and windy conditions at Jinji Lakes International Golf Club to shoot a 67 early in the day.

He finished with three birdies in five holes to put himself in a strong position after a bogey-free round that left him on five under.

He said: “I played nicely from start to finish and kept the mistakes off the card.”

McGrane, who posted his only European Tour success in Beijing two years ago, added: “My short game was good and whenever I hit it close I made the putt. It all added up to a five-under-par and there was no stress, I just did the right things.”

Lawrie had three birdies on his front nine and a back to back pair on the par-five 12th and the par-three 13th to join McGrane in tied-sixth.

The other four Irish players in the field also had solid starts. Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry shot two-under-par 70s to be in tied-21st. Paul McGinley is a shot further back on one-under while Shane Lowry in on level par.

Former European Tour rookie of the year Pablo Larrazabal and China’s Liang Wen-chong, fresh from winning in Chengdu, had set the early pace at six-under-par but Thongchai quickly cut the lead with four birdies in five holes before the turn.