Dyson delivers sober verdict

Simon Dyson today revealed how the loss of his drinking partners had inspired a renaissance in his career.

Dyson was a talented amateur who played on the victorious Walker Cup team of 1999, which also featured the likes of Ryder Cup stars Luke Donald and Paul Casey.

The 29-year-old from York then won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2000 but it took until the Indonesia Open in Jakarta last year for him to win on the European Tour.

He followed that with victory in the KLM Open in August and has five top 10s to his credit already this season, and a four-under-par 68 gave him a share of the lead with Swedish pair Peter Hanson and Peter Gustafsson and Argentina's Andres Romero after the first round of the Irish Open.

The decision to follow in the footsteps of Nick Dougherty and Kenneth Ferrie and cut out the partying is certainly paying dividends and Dyson admitted: "It was very tempting at times.

"You're a 24, 25-year-old lad earning money that you never dreamt of, and you're seeing the world. My dad was always on at me because he knew I wasn't putting all of my time into being the best player that I could be.

"Then Nick and Ken (sixth in the US Open last year) just changed their attitude. Nick was the one I used to go out with and all of a sudden he's going to the gym and earning a million quid a year and I thought: 'I want a bit of that.'

"I'd had a nice four years and earnt a few quid, I could probably earn a fortune and enjoy it even more, so I thought 'why not?'"

Asked whether money or victories matters most, Dyson - whose uncle Terry played in Tottenham's double-winning team of 1961 - added: "If you'd asked me that two years ago I'd have probably said the money, but now it's the titles definitely.

"There's no better feeling than standing there when you've holed the winning putt and everyone is applauding you with the trophy. It's a fantastic feeling."

Lee Westwood had that feeling on Sunday evening in Spain and is in contention for back-to-back wins following an opening 71, but the 34-year-old was not too enamoured with the trend for longer and longer courses.

Westwood, who bogeyed his opening hole but then carded two birdies and 15 pars, said: "It's a very good golf course but I wouldn't say it's one of my favourites in Ireland.

"I think they've lengthened it for the sake of it. The new tees on the 11th and ninth are unnecessary and if they do get a 30mph wind it could make us look a bit daft.

"They need to remember it's in Ireland, not in Florida."

At 7,453 yards, Adare Manor is the longest course in Irish Open history, and the fifth longest to be used for a European Tour event.

But it was shortened by 246 yards today to help players cope with the penal "US Open-style" rough and the forecast strong winds - which failed to materialise.

Dyson and Hanson were the only players to keep a bogey off their card, and Hanson - winner of the Spanish Open in 2005 - said: "This is almost like a major championship set-up, like playing a US Open or USPGA.

"That's the mental approach you need to have and if you don't strike it well you have no chance.

"The strength of my game has always been the long game so when I see a course like this I know I have a better chance of doing well than if it was wide open.

"The course is playing so tough so staying away from double bogeys is what you need to do. If you miss the fairway you know you're going to be hacking out."

Ireland's Paul McGinley, who described the course as his favourite inland course in Ireland, carded a level par 72 but defending champion Thomas Bjorn - who recovered from an opening 78 to win at Carton House 12 months ago - could only manage a 75.

Pre-tournament favourite Padraig Harrington could only manage a 73.