Thornton and Higgins top of the pile

David Higgins and Simon Thornton made the most of ideal calm scoring conditions to share first place at the Athenry Pro-Am supporting the Galway Hospice.

The pair fired four-under-par rounds of 66 at the Co. Galway course to win by two shots from Mount Juliet's Brian Doheny and Glen Robinson.

Higgins, who went into the event as defending champion, made a poor start by dropping a shot at the first but after that he played mistake-free golf and added five birdies for good measure.

Thornton (pictured) played much later in the day and went to the turn in one-under-par 34 with birdies at the fourth and fifth offset by a bogey at the sixth.

Birdies at the 10th, 12th and 15th got him to four-under before his second dropped shot of the day at the 16th halted his momentum. However, he finished strongly with a birdie at the last to join Higgins at the top of the leaderboard.

The PGA in Ireland captain, Gary Chambers (Killymoon), guided his amateur partners – Kevin Burns, Margaret Murphy and Veronica McDermott - to victory in the team event with 93pts.