Darcy is in the comfort zone

The hunger screeches of the gibbons, whether of the white-handed or agile variety, in the adjacent wildlife park close by the fourth fairway have proven a mild, if pleasant, distraction for players in the Murphy's Irish Open. Yet, even with those roars approaching fever pitch come feeding time, perhaps the most audible sound of all yesterday was the ticking of the clock towards Eamonn Darcy's 50th birthday.

It's all of 14 months away - and, with it, will come an anticipated move to the lucrative US Seniors' Tour - but Darcy, playing here courtesy of a sponsor's invite after losing his tour card last season, again showed that the old competitive streak is as alive as ever. At 48, and the oldest man in the field, he proved that age is no barrier to good scoring, particularly if the putter is hot.

"The putter lets me down normally," he confessed, "but if it stays good, then there is no reason why I can't stay up there. Unless you putt well, you might as well stay at home and smell the roses." In fact, Darcy required only 26 putts in compiling 65 strokes on a first day that rekindled memories of old and, while there may have been an element of surprise in his assuming the mantle of main home challenger, at least after round one, the glint in the eye afterwards hinted that he would revel in such a role.

Things have changed in a matter of days for Darcy. On the way to missing the cut in the Great North Open at Slaley Hall last week, he opened with a horrendous round of 78; and, in the Pro-Am at The K Club on Monday last, a putt from inside three feet was so bad that his caddied advised him not to make the 160 miles trip south to Cork, before getting him to alter his putting stroke. "He got me to move the ball right back in my stance," revealed Darcy, and it obviously worked.

"I know rounds like this are in me, it is just a matter of trying to pull them out," he insisted. "I know there is still one or two left in there and it is gratifying after 30 years, especially in an Irish Open, to produce one. I didn't put pressure on myself but halfway around I said to myself, "come on, this is nice, enjoy them while they are happening." Apart from changing his putting stance, Darcy - who has been struggling with his irons in recent months - dug into his locker to extricate an old set of Pings that had been gathering dust since the Dubai Desert Classic in March. "They are not special, it is just that I'm hitting them where I am aiming. I've been fiddling around with clubs, looking for the magic set, and I feel comfortable with these," he added.

In a flawless round, which included three birdies on each side of the turn, Darcy - who was leading Irishman in the Irish Open as recently as 1999 at Druids Glen - added that the reason Irish players have tended to under perform in this championship is that "they probably want it so badly that they are trying too hard . . . but I would love to have that pressure on me on the last day this week." And then, with almost a wistful look, he said:

"There are a lot of young, hungry players out there, just like I used to be." Among those young pretenders was Athlone amateur Colm Moriarty. Apart from some understandable nerves on the first tee, the 22-year-old marked his Irish Open debut with a three-under-par 68 that was highlighted by an eagle three at the 18th, his ninth, where he hit an eight-iron approach to 12 feet.

Indeed, his huge driving was a notable feature of his play, best exemplified by a massive drive on the ninth, his finishing hole, where he drove the ball 375 yards. Part of the reason for such prolific hitting he attributed to the use of an ERC II driver which he had modified in the Callaway trailer on Wednesday with a heavier and stiffer shaft.

"If I finish with four 68s, then I'll be very happy indeed," said Moriarty, with a mischievous grin.

In fact, he has one of the better stroke averages - 71.8 - on the amateur circuit and includes a top-10 finish in the Lytham Trophy this season but he has failed to bring that scoring into matchplay events.

While there is a stark difference in experience between the wily old fox Darcy and Moriarty's bubbling enthusiasm, other Irish players experienced some contrasting fortunes.

Paul McGinley incurred 33 putts on his way to a 69 and immediately headed off to the putting green with his psychologist Jos Vansptiphout. "I just couldn't get the pace of the greens," he remarked, while Darren Clarke - who was installed as 7 to 1 favourite midway through his round when he moved to four-under after 10 holes - had a poor finish to sign for a 70. "It was the same old story. I get myself into a position to get a good score and then mess it up," he said.

Damien McGrane, meanwhile, was "sick as a parrot" when three-over after eight but turned things around admirably with four birdies in the next 10 to finish on 70 and another club professional John Dwyer had the distinction of going one shot better.