Course record for McDermott

Michael McDermott (above) won the Cassidy Golf PGA Irish Region Championship pro-am, at Roganstown on Wednesday, and continued the good work yesterday in the first round of the €30,000 tournament.

It really was Pure Golf from the Leopardstown pro as he shot a sizzling 65 course record to push early clubhouse leader Michael McGeady off the top of the leaderboard by one stroke, when it looked as if the latter was set for the overnight lead.

“I shot a three-under-par in the pro-am and that was good practice for me before the championship,” said McDermott. “I am hitting the ball very well and I was pleased with the way I controlled the flight of the ball in the breezy conditions. It’s a good start but there are still three rounds to go and anything can happen.”

The leader explained that he is just getting used to a new set of PING clubs, particularly the irons and he feels the clubs are really suiting him. They have improved his iron play tremendously, he says.

Certainly his approach work was in fine shape yesterday as he hit all but two greens in regulation and, after starting at 10, he covered the back nine in four-under-par without a bogey in sight. He was on in two at the long 10th and steered a six iron to 20 feet and holed for birdie three at 11 for a super start.

He wedged to six feet for another birdie three at 13 and rifled a six iron to 20 feet and rolled in the putt at the 17th to turn in 32. On the way home, McDermott trimmed long holes four and five to four blows each to create the new course record of 65.

Michael McGeady’s fortunes may not have been great this year on the PGA Europro Tour but yesterday he, too, was in excellent form as he carded a mid-day 66.

“It is quite a few years since I played in the Irish Championship,” he reflected, “and this is a promising start. It leaves me in a nice position to make a challenge for the title but, of course, there is a long way to go.”

He disclosed that since taking a new putter out of the bag, his game has improved immensely. He used it first in the PGA Ulster Championship, at The Hilton, and yesterday’s was only his fifth round using the club.

“I’m just getting used to it but it seems to be working well. The shaft is a bit longer, but it’s not a broom handled putter, with a little more weight at the top and it feels good,” McGeady enthused.

However, he had an early blip on the second green as he three-stabbed from 40 feet to pencil in bogey four but then got to grips with the situation. After being on the green at the long fourth with two blows, he got down in two putts and rolled in an uphill 20-footer for a two at six. He then closed out the front nine with another birdie two from 12 feet.

At the long 10th, he shaved another shot off par from the back fringe but, ironically, missed from three feet for bogey five at 11. At the 14th hole, McGeady made a good save for par after being in sand off the tee and he covered the last four holes in three-under.

His pitching-wedge approach to the 15th flag spun back from the hole, denying an eagle, but he lowered the return 10-footer. At 17, he holed from 15 feet and at 18 from 20 feet for back-to-back closing birdies two and four.

Former championship winner David Mortimer posted a 69 in the cool, cool, cool of the evening to take third place overnight. Playing the back nine first, he birdied the par four 15th and short 17th but gave a shot back at long 18. However, he regained the lost ground with birdie three at the first hole before finishing with eight pars.