South Africa’s Dean Burmester sets blistering pace at Irish Open

South Africa’s Dean Burmester got the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open off to a flying start at Galgorm Castle on Thursday as he shot an opening 65 as tournament favourite Shane Lowry struggled to keep pace.

Burmester, 31, with one European Tour victory on home soil at the 2017 Tshwane Open, was in the first group out at the Co. Antrim parkland course as the rescheduled Irish Open finally got underway without spectators, four months after its original date and 345 kilometres north of its intended venue at Mount Juliet.