HASSAN TROPHY:FOUR birdies in his last five holes gave Ireland's Damien McGrane a two-stroke lead at the Hassan Trophy in Agadir, Morocco, yesterday.

The 40-year-old Co Meath golfer, whose only European Tour victory came by nine shots in the 2008 China Open, had a seven-under par 65 and found himself clear at the top when England’s Graeme Storm made a mess of his finish.

Also seven under with two to play, the former British amateur champion saw a chip come back to his feet on the short eighth – his 17th – and after double-bogeying there he dropped another shot on the last.

None of the three players involved in a play-off on the course last year managed to break par. Defending champion David Horsey had a 72, South African Jaco Van Zyl a 74 and Welshman Rhys Davies – winner in 2010 – a 75.

Alejandro Canizares of Spain was McGrane’s nearest challenger after shooting a five-under par 67 yesterday.

Seven players were locked on four-under par overnight, including Scot Richie Ramsay, England’s Graeme Storm and Kenneth Ferrie, Welshman Philip Price, Italian Edoardo Molinari, Jorge Campillo of Spain and Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen.

Despite ending with a double-bogey six on the last hole, Dubliner Peter Lawrie, was just a shot further back. Mark Murphy shot a level-par 72, one better than Shane Lowry, while Michael Hoey hit a 74, with Gareth Maybin on 77 and Paul McGinley on 79.

Any hopes Robert Rock had of qualifying for next month’s US Masters appeared to have gone when he took an 11 on one hole early in his Hassan Trophy first round yesterday.

Rock’s calamity came on the 424-yard fourth, where former US Amateur champion Peter Uihlein had already run up a nine in his opening 11 over par 83.

Rock hit three drives off the fourth tee because the first two headed into the ice-plant rough, but on finding the second he attempted to play it and did not move the ball.

It needed two more whacks to find the fairway, he was short of the green in seven, chipped to 10 feet and three-putted.

At six over the English player, who needed a first or second place finish to have any chance of climbing into the world’s top 50 in time for Augusta, was already 13 strokes adrift of leader McGrane by then.

Uihlein’s fellow American John Daly, the 1995 Open champion, was another who hit big trouble. He took nine on the par five first and, having been three under after eight holes on the back nine, eventually signed for a 77, while reigning French Open champion Thomas Levet had a quadruple bogey eight on the third in his round of 79.

Edoardo Molinari beat his brother Francesco by two. They are the only two players in the field certain to be at the Masters in a fortnight.

Dane Soren Hansen, a member of Europe’s 2008 Ryder Cup side, got no further than the turn. He was already 13 over par by then and that included taking nine on the dreaded fourth.

McGrane began with an eagle on the long 10th, then mixed four birdies with three bogeys before making his late charge.

“I’m delighted with it,” he said. “I got off to a fast start and I made my fair share of putts.

“The course is generous – if you play well you have plenty of opportunities.”