Golf:Ireland's Peter Lawrie produced a stunning six under 66 to grab a share of the lead, alongside Scotland's David Drysdale, on the opening day of the BMW PGA Championship over the West course at Wenthworth.
The Dubliner raced to six under after just 11 holes with birdies at the second, fifth, sixth and 11th to complement a superb eagle three at the par five, fourth. He made his way home from there with seven consecutive pars; his card didn't contain a single dropped shot.
Gareth Maybin (-2) was next best is terms of the Irish players with Darren Clarke (1), Barrie Trainor (-1) and Damien McGrane (-1) also posting sub par rounds. David Higgins (-1) and Shane Lowry (-2) had yet to finish their rounds.
The news elsewhere wasn't as upbeat from an Irish perspective.World number one Rory McIlroy found himself six strokes behind after another poor start to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth today — and Graeme McDowell was in the same position after being give a two-stroke penalty on the final hole.
McIlroy’s two-over-par 74 included going out of bounds “by an inch” at the long 12th; something that was followed by him throwing a club in what he called “a release of frustration.”
Fellow Northern Irishman McDowell fell foul of the rules after going into the bushes. First the ball moved a fraction as he approached it and because he did not replace it — the incident was caught on television — a second shot was handed to him by European Tour chief referee John Paramor afterwards.
Playing partner Lee Westwood, who came back from an early double bogey to card a 70, called it harsh, but McDowell said after signing for a triple-bogey eight on the hole: “It’s my fault. I probably should have called for a referee.
“That would have saved me one shot, but what are you supposed to do — the whole area was sort of bouncing. I was aware of it and asked for it to be looked at. The rules are there for everybody’s protection.”
Out in front early on with four-under-par 68s were McIlroy’s playing partner Ernie Els — the man who toughed up the course two years ago — fellow South African George Coetzee, Scot Marc Warren and England’s Robert Rock.
McIlroy opened with a 76 last year — that put him 12 adrift of eventual winner Luke Donald — and said: “It was a bit of deja vu. Four bogeys in five holes around the turn was very disappointing. I feel like I’m playing pretty well and I’ve just got to go and shoot the scores.”
On the shot which went out of bounds, he added: “I just tried to cut it and double-crossed it. There are four par fives and you feel you should be taking advantage of them and three or four under should be the worst you do.”
He did eagle the 552-yard fourth and was one under after seven, but then the round got away from him. Padraig Harrington suffered even more en route to signing for a four over, 76. The Irishman bogeyed the first and then ran up a triple bogey six at the par three, second. He managed three birdies but also the same number of birdies on a frustrating morning.
Michael Hoey was three under at one stage during his round but a brace of double bogeys over the closing stretch saw him sign for a one over, 73. Westwood, who lost a play-off to Donald a year ago and is making his 19th attempt to take the title, missed the green and three-putted the third to stand two over.
There were two bogeys after that but also six birdies, three of them in a row from the 12th. Donald was among the later starters as he tried to join Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie as the only men to make a successful defence of the trophy.
