Burns, Darcy salvage some comfort on a strange day

A STRANGE day for the Irish. Raymie Burns stood on the fourth tee and unleashed a drive that travelled only 210 yards. Damien Mooney used his three iron as a support when bending down to implant a tee at the third and felt the club break under his weight.

Yes, a strange kind of day. But the weight of expectancy hangs over the heads of the 28 home players and, if they must contend with extra pressures, some more than others managed to put up a brave kind of fight.

If Gary Murphy's excellent first round 70 made him as the surprise flag bearer at Druids Glen. Burns and Eamonn Darcy, who carries the club's logo on his bag around the European circuit, were among those who could salvage some satisfaction.

Particularly Burns. The 22 year old former Walker Cup player was three over par after four holes he started with a double bogey six, and then bogeyed the fourth when his drive "plugged". But he proceeded to show his fighting qualities by covering the remaining 14 holes in two under par for a 72.

"It was a difficult day," said Burns. "The swirling wind made things quite tough and, for some reason, I found the greens to be a little slow. A bit grainy, although I know there are no grains in them."

Darcy also fought the good fight. Apart from three putting the second (his 11th) for what he termed a "silly bogey" and incurring a double bogey six at the 15th after visits to sand and water, he played solid golf for a 72. "I can't believe Bernhard Langer managed to shoot a 67," he said. "It was a tough day. There was no fun out there.

Paul McGinley was another who had to display some resilience. The Dubliner seeking to consolidate his quest for an exemption into the British Open on the "current form" rankings, which are finalised after Sunday battled to a 73. "I wasn't really on my game, I felt uncomfortable," he said. "I couldn't swing the club properly, for some reason. I didn't get the flight I wanted in the wind."

Still, McGinley's 73 was as much as he could hope for yesterday, but he did not blame the course. "It is very difficult, but not unfair," he said.

Mooney, a teaching professional at the Laganview Golf Centre, is one of golf's big hitters. Bearing this in mind, he opted to use a three iron off the tee at the third, but broke it when he used it as a crutch. But the Ulsterman managed to produce a very respectable 73 to give him a chance to make the cut for the first time.

Ronan Rafferty, the former European number one, was "happy enough" with his 74, adding. "I believe that is about level par in the conditions." And Jimmy Heggarty, another Northerner, also rowed in with a 74.

Otherwise, it wasn't a particularly good first round for the Irish contingent and, as far as the amateurs are concerned, the quartet will need to produce something special if the silver medal is to find a home. Keith Nolan, who shot 79 (including a quadruple bogey eight on the fourth), is best placed, but needs to improve to survive the cut.