Higgins’ home comforts

David Higgins is back on home soil, for the present, after his travels around the European Tour and he is making pretty good use of his time.

The Waterville man shot to the top of the leaderboard at the PGA €10,000 Pro-Am tournament at Cork.

Higgins had a cosy run over the front nine at Little Island as he turned in four-under-par 32 without a blemish on his card. He shot off with birdie three at the first hole and backed that up with a four at the long second. He also trimmed the long fifth hole to four blows and made his second birdie three at eight.

The winner wasn’t in top gear on the back nine, however, as a two at the short 13th was sand-wedged between bogey fives at 12 and 14, giving the winner a back nine of one-over-par 37.

Graeme Dunlea (Adare Manor) finished just one stroke behind Higgins and must regret a bogey five, same as the winner, at the 12 hole, his only mistake of the day. In a steady round, Dunlea pencilled in birdies at the first, 11th and 17th holes, during his 70.