Cool Bolger slips past the bouncers

Some days can shatter golfing illusions. On a day when rounds took over five-and-a-half hours, mostly in wind and rain, a guy with the carefree attitude of a gatecrasher who has gained entry to an end-of-season bash was the unlikely hero of the first round of the Smurfit Irish PGA Championship at Fota Island yesterday.

Jimmy Bolger, who's only playing in the £108,000 tournament as a replacement, took it all in his stride to upstage the so-called "big guns". "I'll keep plugging away and see what happens," was the cool, calm and collected reaction of the Mount Wolseley club professional after he shot a threeunder-par 69 to leave himself a shot clear of Paul McGinley and Slade Valley's John Dignam.

Bolger, basking in the unusual position as tournament leader, was probably one of the few players to enjoy himself, though. McGinley, rightly, cited the duration of the rounds as "crazy", while another of the nine European Tour players in the field, Eamonn Darcy, termed it "a really hard day at the office".

It wasn't a day for hanging around, but the log-jam built up as early as the second tee-box, and players were left waiting to play shots virtually the entire way round.

Such inconveniences, and the lack of competition for much of the summer, didn't unduly affect Bolger, playing in just his third event of the season. The 30-yearold had failed to negotiate his way through the qualifying event for this tournament at Seapoint last month, but, a couple of weeks ago, got the call from the Irish PGA offices in Dundalk that he was "in", courtesy of Liam Higgins' decision to withdraw.

Bolger has made the most of his good fortune. He actually reached four under par after 10 holes - his birdies coming at the first, sixth, eighth and 10th - and his only blemish was incurred at the par three 17th where his threeiron tee-shot missed the green right and finished in a poor lie.

"I'm not even thinking of winning, there is a long way to go," said a pragmatic Bolger. Such caution is well advised, especially given the close pursuit of so many of the European Tour players, four of whom were among the seven to dip below par. McGinley, on 70, leads the chase, but Smyth, Christy O'Connor Jnr and John McHenry, all on 71, Padraig Harrington and David Higgins, both on 72, Darcy and Philip Walton, who had 73s, and Raymond Burns, with a 74, are all within striking distance.

McGinley was particularly satisfied. He etched out his round of 70, featuring three birdies and one bogey, in perhaps the worst of the weather. All three birdies came at par fives - the eighth, 10th and 18th - the highlight being his four at the 10th where, with 96 yards to the flag, he left his approach dead.