Irish Open: Padraig Harrington surges to first round lead

The first round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is in the books, and a home favourite, Padraig Harrington, is out front after a fantastic round of 63.

Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington is the first round leader at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, after a seven-under-par round that included eight birdies and just one bogey at Lahinch.

The Irishman, who has already qualified for The Open in two weeks’ time thanks to winning the event in 2007 and 2008, will be one of the early runners on Day 2, and he will be hoping to put a good score in for the chasing pack to look for.

Harrington may lead, but it is only by one, on a day where 67 players shot in the red numbers around the par-70 Old Course in County Clare.

Second place man Zander Lombard shot a 64 on Thursday afternoon, including four birdies in his last five holes to push himself up the leaderboard.

There is then a group of seven players sat two back at -5, including Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Hyowon Park, who teed it up together on Thursday, and will go again tomorrow lunchtime.

English trio of Lee Slattery, Eddie Pepperell and Chris Paisley also show 65 on the first day, along with Australian Wade Ormsby and Danish Ryder Cup star Thorbjorn Olesen.

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Big names sit further back after Thursday’s action, including Shane Lowry, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, who all shot 66 and are just three back at this early stage.

Defending champion Russell Knox is amongst those at -3, along with Ryder Cup heroes Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm, while Matt Wallace and Haotong Li are both at -2.

A Spanish quartet of Jorge Campillo, Pablo Larrazabal, Adrian Otaegui and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano sit six shots back after opening rounds 69. Also at -1 are Nicolas Colsaerts and Bernd Weisberger, while Thongchai Jaidee and Andrea Pavan shot level-par rounds of 70.

Thomas Bjorn, Louis Oosthuizen and Darren Clarke are amongst those at +1, with Lucas Bjerregard and Graeme McDowell are at +2. Meanwhile, last week’s winner Christiaan Bezuidenhout had a day to forget, as he shot a four-over-par round of 74.

Play starts at 06:45 in the morning, with the weather set fair at Lahinch for another beautiful day’s play.

Leaderboard after Round 1:

-7: Padraig Harrington (IRL)

-6: Zander Lombard (RSA)

-5: Lee Slattery, Eddie Pepperell, Chris Paisley (all ENG), Wade Orsmby (AUS), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Hyowon Park (SKO), Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN)

-4: Oliver Wilson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood (all ENG), Shane Lowry (IRL), Gavin Green (MAS), Martin Kaymer (GER), Robert MacIntyre (SCO), Cormac Sharvin (NIR), Abraham Ancer (MEX)