Higgins makes his mark

Irish PGA Championship: Waterville's David Higgins has been living the nightmare side of golf since he lost his European Tour card at the end of 2001.

But the 30-year-old put the pain of two years in the doldrums behind him when he came home in 30 - six under par - to card a superb 68 and take a one shot lead after the first round of the €137,000 Smurfit Irish PGA championship at Adare Manor yesterday.

His four-under-par, course-record equalling effort put him one stroke ahead of Cathal Barry from Paddock Wood Driving Range as defending champion Paul McGinley carded two double bogeys in a 71 for a share of third place with Ashbourne's John Dwyer, Limerick County's Donal McSweeney, Headfort's Brendan McGovern and former British Amateur champion Michael Hoey.

On a day when the prevailing south-west wind made the testing Limerick track an exacting examination for the 102-man field, Higgins was one of just seven players to break par.

McGinley had threatened to take the lead outright when he stood on the tee at the par five ninth - his 18th - on three under par.

But the Ryder Cup player's five-wood approach soared left into the trees and after failing to extricate himself at the first attempt he eventually found the putting surface in four and three putted for a double bogey seven.

But while McGinley was left to lament two loose strokes that cost him four shots, his difficulties yesterday pale into insignificance compared to those of Higgins. In 1994, he beat Padraig Harrington in the finals of both the South of Ireland and Irish Close championships. But after turning professional at the end of that season his eight-year sojourn in the paid ranks has been a roller-coaster affair.

With only limited starts last year his game fell apart and with his confidence at its lowest ebb he decided against a return to the Qualifying School and returned to Waterville from his London base to take stock of his situation.

"I decided not to go the tour school last year because I felt I was just digging a hole," he explained. "I was practicing and practicing and getting nowhere and I knew I wasn't going to get through the school because I wasn't confident enough or playing well enough.

"I didn't play again competitively until April this year. But I'm in a better frame of mind to go at it again this year and I'm going to the first stage at Five Lakes later this month.

"I don't have a plan to be honest. I'm just taking it one day at a time but I'll try to win the Irish Region Order of Merit." Four wins on the domestic circuit have boosted his confidence.

Starting on the back nine, Higgins played steadily but holed nothing to turn in two over after bogeys at the 14th and 17th.

But he caught fire on the homeward journey with a scintillating back nine in which he combined three pars with a brace of birdie hat-tricks.

Birdie putts of 15, nine and five feet dropped at the second, third and fourth holes to take him to one under par.