Course record for on-form Kearney
03/10/2013
Niall Kearney claimed a course record at The Hilton Templepatrick as he began a determined defence of his HBE Risk Management PGA Ulster Championship title.
The holder, who recently got through the first test at the European Tour Qualifying School in Germany, shot a classy seven-under-par 65 to open a gap at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage and leave all pretenders to the throne in his wake.
Conditions were not conducive to low scoring, but as the rain-soaked course claimed its casualties, Kearney went from strength-to-strength.
“We did have rain at times and it was very dull and overcast but the greens are very good here. The course is generally in good condition. It’s certainly a good start,” reflected Kearney, “and the same again tomorrow would do nicely.”
Last year the Royal Dublin attaché closed out the field with a second round 64 to win the title but there was placing on the fairways then, not so yesterday with his 65 creating a professionals’ course record at the Templepatrick track.
Kearney pencilled in nine threes during the round with two of them being golden eagles and another three being birdies. The other four were solid pars.
On the way out, the overnight leader made eight pars with an eagle at the long fifth hole before going to town on the back nine. His eagle at hole five was shot down with a drive, three wood and a 20 feet putt. Birdie threes at 10, 12 and 14 were the cause of solid tee and second shots plus careful putting – he slotted in a 12-footer on the 10th green.
Nearest chaser overnight, on 69, was Killarney’s Daniel Sugrue who put in a fighting finish, going eagle-birdie-birdie from the long 16th hole. Sugrue had five birdies, an eagle and four bogeys on his card.
