As It Happened - 3 Irish Open Day One

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by Brendan Cole

2045 Last word on this goes to Kevin O'Sullivan:

'In contrast to some other views expressed, I think there is an excellent field in the 3 Irish Open at Killarney. Remember World No 3 and No 2 in European Money List, Lee Westwood only
pulled out 10 days ago due to injury.

'US Open Champion and Top European Money earner Graham McDowell is in the field. Not to mention Rory, Justin Rose (No 3 in US Money List), Padraig, Darren Clarke but also the rest of the players have 27 wins on the European Tour in the last year and a half.

'Now by any standards that is a strong field. We should be extremely, proud of 3 and Killarney for putting such a strong field together.'

On the course, David Dixon did not manage to crack the top-10 in the end, becoming another to fall victim to the 18th. A bogey meant he also finished on four-under.

1925 Dixon is five-under with the 16th behind him, and his chances of getting to the leaders must now be rated slim.

1850 Johansen has bogeyed the 18th and is four-under.

Dixon is still five-under, now through 13.

(Note: all the big guns are in and as such, this tracker is gently wending its way towards wherever it is trackers go when they have outlived their usefulness.....though we will keep you up to date with Mr Dixon and any other big movers).

1830 David Dixon has joined the group on five-under and is only after playing the 12th - he must have a chance of taking a share of the lead or even claiming it for himself with the reachable par-five 16th coming up and some other fairly playable holes down the stretch.

Johansen is also five-under with just the 18th to play. Drysdale has finished on four-under.

1815 Michael Hoey has parred the last and finished up on five-under - he is part of that big group in tied-4th.

Johansen only managed par on the par-five 16th and with 17 and 18 ahead of him is not likely to get any lower.

Scot David Drysdale has also played well, he is four-under with just the 18th to go.

1810 Paul (via e-mail) has this to say on the quality of the field:

"You had all the top Europeans from Langer to Seve playing in Europe but these days all the top Europeans play in America. We need to have another Major in europe. Two on each continent!

"Bring the Irish open back to a links course and there'll be a steady interest from the American tour! It's a luxury having original golf courses on our doorsteps."

True, there was a group of very strong Europeans back then - Woosnam, Lyle, Faldo and plenty more.

But surely McIlroy, Harrington, McDowell and McIlroy bring star quality to this field?

Also, if a Major left the US, the Southern Hemisphere - maybe Australia? - might also have a claim?

1805 Rumford made that putt and finishes among the large group on five-under.

Tage Johansen is the only man on the course who is really within touching distance of the leaders; he is still playing the 16th and five-under par as it stands.

The straight hitting Australian O'Malley could also play his way onto the first page. He's now three-under through 12.

1800 Rumford leaves his putt a few feet short on 18 with his long putter. Tricky effort coming up.

Fernandez-Castano - and I have never seen a narrower stance from a top pro, even given that his feet are always pretty close together - putts to within a couple of inches up a steep hill.

He finishes on five-under.

Steven O'Hara and Peter O'Malley are also going well, both three-under after 11 holes.

Colm Moriarty has finished with a 73 after taking five on the last. He had a few birdies but also a double on the sixtgh.

1755 On 18, Rumford is in the rough to the left and plays his second up to the front right of the green. That's the way to play this hole if you aren't right on your game.

Fernandez-Castano plays to a similar part of the green, away from the flag, from the middle of the fairway.

Should both finish on five-under.

On, 17, Hoey holes a little knee-knocker for par. He's five under with one to play.

Johansen on 16 smashes a drive up the right. He is also on five-under but could set up an eagle chance.

1750 Coverage has finished on RTÉ Television but it will start again at 10am tomorrow morning.

Most of the big names are in but we'll be keeping you up to date with the main movers here.

Among those in with a chance of taking a spot close to the top of the leaderboard are Australian short-game wizard Brett Rumford and Spanish.....shaky putter Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Rumford is five-under through 17 after birdies on 16 and 17.

Fernandez-Castano, putting with his feet virtually together, is five-under through 17 with four birdies on his back nine so far.

1745 Michael Hoey has birdied the par-five 16th to be five-under with two to play.

1740 Shane Lowry missed that putt on 18 and finishes on three-over. Big day coming up for him tomorrow.

Damien McGrane tells Darren Frehill he has been playing well lately - though he smothered a few tee shots today - and picked off the birdies slowly but surely.

1735 Pádraig Harrington tells Darren Frehill he is happy enough with his round: a few nice up and downs on a course where you needed to be making birdies on an easy scoring day is the verdict.

1730 James Quinn is wondering where the real big names are for this European Tour tournament - isn't this a Ryder Cup qualifiying event?

It is, and it's a fair point - there there are some big names missing; the likes of Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Ian Poulter have not made the trip.

But this what a fairly good quality European Tour field looks like these days (there are masses of Irish, English and Scottish players thrown in for good measure).

Also, it may be worth bearing in mind that this is a new spot in the calendar for the event. There is a €3,000,000 pot - which is on the bigger side - to play for.

Lowry has found water on 18 and will have a 15-foot putt for par to remain at two-over.

1725 Lowry has missed that putt, a very poor effort that was never on line. He is two-over through 17.

Norway's Erik Tage Johanson - a man you may not have heard of - has made a move up the leaderboard, he is five-under through 13.

1720 Lowry has left himself a tester for par on 17, chipping quite poorly to leave himself four feet.

On 18, McGrane's birdie effort to get to seven-under turns towards the cup late on but not quite enough. He is in lovely touch though and finishes with a 65.

Six-under and tied-2nd alongside Richard Green, one behind Howell.

McDowell putts third of the trio and also gets it close - without scaring the hole. Round in 70, with a three putt from nowhere on mid-round doing most damage.

Harrington didn't get his long put stone dead but he holes out from near enough five feet for a bogey-free 68.

1715 McDowell's approach from 185 yards is to the heart of the green. Quite a bit short of the flag and he is not too happy with the shot, but we have seen several players try to run shots up the green, and go way too long.

Harrington's cut shot held against the breeze is also short.

McGrane's effort from 165 yards is another great shot - it lands 15 feet away and left of the flag but trickles back another six or seven.

Still closest of the trio.

1710 McGrane, Harrington and McDowell have all found the fairway on 18.

John Wren (via e-mail) is a fan of the course, and the south:

'I'm from London but the old man is from Kerry. My cousin (top bloke) was good enough to take me out around Killeen a few years back. I made a complete mess of the 10th hole finding the water twice. Not sure if it was my golfing ability or partially due to the heavy night out in Redz nightclub, Cork, the night before which caused problems with my swing.

'I have to say Killeen is the most beautiful golf course I have played and I have played some crackers.... Ciarraí Abu for Saturday!!!!'

1705 Harrington is playing out of a little hollow behind the green. He is also rubbing his eye as though he has something in it.

He plays another superb chip, landing it in the fringe and seeing it run out to a foot-and-a-half feet. McDowell also gets it close, putting from the fringe.

McGrane's birdie effort misses by inches to the right. Still one behind Howell with the 18th - which has seen some carnage today - to come.

On 16, Lowry just missed with that birdie attempt. Still one over with two to play.

On 18, Noh missed the green long and left with his approach, had a free drop from a bush from where his high soft pitch is 15 feet short and he missed from there.

Finishes on five-under.

1700 McDowell and Harrington have just missed the green on 17. Harrington has again hit his shot too far, right over the top of the flag, McDowell is a little closer and to the right a touch.

McGrane shows them how it's done, playing his iron shot just left of the flag and stopping it. 12 feet for birdie.

On the 16th, Lowry will have a long birdie putt after smacking a wood into the face of a fairway with his second.

1655 Michael Hoey has embarked on a bit of a scoring spree around the turn. He has birdied 10, 11 and 13, as well as 7. He is now four-under through 14 and in a big group of players who are t-10th as it stands.

1650 Noh has pushed his tee shot right of the fairway bunkers on 18. Long second shot coming up for him - needs par to remain at six-under.

McGrane has hit a good wedge and holed and eight foot putt to birdie the 16th to get to six-under.

1645 The Irish have been going well at Killarney but there is a strong international contingent on the leaderboard.

Clarke (-5) and McIlroy (-4) are the leading home players in the clubhouse. McGrane could yet go past them. Barrie Trainor has also done very well, finishing on two-under.

But there are dozens of international players around them and the Irish will need to keep going low to separate themselves from the pack.

Harrington's eagle attempt from off the green on 16 is another perfect lag putt - he will birdie that. McDowell will have a five after finding the green with his recovery.

Lowry remains one-over with three to play after another par on 15. Can he eagle this 16th?

On 17, Noh has birdied it to go to six under. Can he handle the 18th or will he go the way of Haig and Lee?

1640 McGrane actually found a fairway bunker and he lays up. 70-yard wedge shot and a putt to make birdie for him.

Harrington has just over 200 yards to go and his utility club effort finishes pin high and just to right of the green. Two yards off the putting surface, a good chance of birdie.

1635 McGrane did two-putt in the end on 15 and has hit the fairway on 16. He will have a five wood or something similar to set up an eagle chance.

Fisher has found a tricky spot on 15, he is behind a stand of trees well to the left of the fairway. The Englishman is taking an age to make his decision - deep in discussion with his new caddy who goes by the name 'Wobbly'.

In the end, he goes through the trees with a low shot and will have a longish wedge. Lowry also tugged his tee shot left but is in front of those trees.

On 16, McDowell is 240 yards back from the flag and right of the fairway. Makes good contact but it is a big pull and it goes way way left of the green.

1630 McGrane is five-under after 14 holes. He has a long birdie putt coming up and a clear eagle finish, he could well be near Howell by the close of his round.

Full details of Robert Rock's DQ are as follows (via PA):

Rock did not spot that his card had him down for a par on the 14th and birdie at the next instead of the other way around.

The 33-year-old said: "It's my fault. I checked it, but didn't see it and it's my job to do that. I don't think I've been disqualified for anything before. I'd have preferred it to be after an 80!"

1625 Anders Hansen became another victim of 18, finding the water with his approach. A bogey five in the end, he has finished on four under.

Lowry has tugged his approach shot long on 14th - not quite as tricky a spot as McDowell was in. He chips well and it should be another par.

On the par-five 16th, Noh takes a wood from the rough to the right of the fairway and almost holes it. Big kick off a mound and it ran just by the flag. He'll have a 10 footer for eagle.

On 15, Harrington has not found the right level on the green and will have to putt up a step. McGrane's approach shot is pulled left from the fairway but is on the right level - should be a simple two-putt.

McDowell's effort is best of the three, landing just left of the flag and sticking - eight feet for birdie.

1620 McGrane finds a fairway on 15.........a change in tack.

Harrington takes three wood on this 393m par four and also finds the fairway. McDowell's tee shot is also perfect and the longest of the three-ball.

Howell's final effort at birdie - for a 63 - slides just to the right of the hole. He'll have to make do with a seven under 64 and he is out in front on his own.

1615 Fisher, playing alongside Lowry, has missed a six-foot par putt. Back to two under.

Howell's second to 18 is a superb shot, landing just in front of the flag and bouncing past. He will have a putt to get to eight-under.

McDowell, from behind and below the green, chips his ball very nicely on the 14th and pars it.

McGrane has found few fairways but it doesn't seem to matter; another birdie putt goes in, this time from very short range.

Harrington's birdie putt also rolls into the centre of the cup - he is two under now.

Noh has dropped a shot to drop back to four under and t-10th.

1610 McDowell has fired his shot through the green on 14 - dirty chip coming up.

McGrane has played a belting shot, again from the rough, he is within two feet.

Harrington, from the left side of the fairway with 101 yards to go, fires a lovely wedge over the top of the flag and to within four feet.

Noh, on 15, has left his approach well short and on the lower level of the green. Long putt for par coming up.

Lowry has holed his birdie putt to get back to one over. Five holes to play for him.

1605 McGrane, Harrington and McDowell have attracted European Tour referee John Paramour for slow play.

McDowell has pulled his tee shot well left and into the crowd.

A hole behind on 13, Shane Lowry will have a 20-footer for birdie after a solid iron shot. Fisher is in the bunker.

Howell is out on his own on seven under with Richard Green now alone in second on six under with Rock gone and Lee having fallen back.

Lee finished with a 67 - four under for the day. He must have holed that eight-footer for a closing six. That's good enough for t-10th alongside nine others.

Rock signed for a lower number on the 15th than he should have - most unfortunate error.

1600 On 18, Lee hit his second up to the front of the green and raced his fifth shot - a long putt - past the hole.

News on Rock is that the DQ is for signing his scorecard incorrectly.

1557 Hmmmm.....leaderboard is saying Robert Rock disqualified.

He is chatting to Darren Frehill in a pre-recorded interview on the RTÉ TV coverage and doesn't seem aware of it.

That leaderboard I'm referring to is the European Tour website's one.

1555 Fisher did hole his birdie chance - he is now three-under through 12.

1550 Lowry has just missed that birdie chance.

On 13, McGrane is in thick rough but he finds another superb recovery, running his iron shot up the green to create another birdie chance.

McDowell, from the heart of the fairway, lands his ball on the green where it sticks just outside McGrane's. No run for the Ulsterman.

Harrington is in a tricky spot. Heavy rough is covering his ball and from 180 yards he needs to cut this ball with trees between his ball and the hole.

He finds a good contact but the shot hasn't got the legs and trickles into the bunker just short of the green.

On 18, Danny Lee has tugged his approach shot long, left and out of bounds up by the clubhouse from the middle of the fairway.

Like Haig earlier on, he looks set take a significant drop down the leaderboard on the last.

1544 Harrington and McDowell complete their tidy up jobs, holing out for pars.

Noh Seung-yul has also moved up the leaderboard, he is five-under through 13.

Back on the tee, McGrane has pulled his drive on 13, and is behind a tree. Another tough recovery coming up on this 458 metre hole. He'll have a following wind to help.

Harrington's drive is another big hit but it runs out of through the fairway and to the right.

McDowell's drive finds the middle of the fairway.

On 12, Lowry finds a nice iron approach shot and will have a good birdie chance. Fisher will also have a birdie chance.

On 16, David Howell has holed a superb eagle putt to take the lead. The Englishman is seven under after seeing his 35 footer drop.

Looking at how other players have finished, the stiff closing holes will test his ability to hold that lead with 18 a particularly tricky challenge.

1540 David Howell is the other man in position to catch the leaders at the moment. He is five-under through 15.

Harrington's long putt on 12 is very nicely played down that steep slope behind the cup. He should par the hole.

McGrane drops his putt in from 25 feet or so - superb birdie to go to four under after 12.

On 17, Lee two putts to stay at six under.

1538 Ross Fisher has holed a putt, rolling one in from pin high and 15 feet away on the 11th. He is two under after 11.

McDowell finished in a bunker and he plays a superb shot out of it, a low shot that released and ran up to the flag.

Danny Lee, currently joint-leader, has found the heart of the green on the 17th. The young New Zealander is six-under and needs a birdie either here or on the tricky 18th to take sole owenership of the lead.

1535 The Irish three-ball of Harrington, McGrane and McDowell is on the 12th.

McGrane found trouble with his tee shot but he hits a low runner up to the front of the green - good recovery and he has a medium length birdie chance.

McDowell is just to the right of the fairway in the rough - which is thick enough. But he hangs it out to the right from around 150 yards - and it is in a hollow.

Harrington, from the middle of the fairway, stares his iron shot down but sees it fly way to far and he will have to putt down a big slope.

McGrane hit the worst tee shot by a distance there but has the only live birdie chance.

On 11, Lowry has dropped another shot and is +2.

1530 Anton Haig has given up his lead. He put his second shot in the water on 18, hitting out of that bunker and into the large pond to the front left of the green.

He was on the green in four and then two putted for a six - back to five under.

Jamie (via e-mail) 'I'm originally from Killarney and working in Dublin! Looking forward to Kerry clipping Down on Sunday in Croker and shooting down to K-town for the golf on Sunday!

'Here's hoping for a Kerry win and an Irishman winning the Open...what a weekend that would be!!'

1525 McGrane holes his putt to stay three-under through 11. McDowell, putting after McGrane misses his first one and then misses a two-and-a-half-footer - double bogey and he is back to even par.

Harrington taps in to remain at one-under and the move off to the 12th tee - though his ball did a full circuit of the rim of the cup before dropping in. Heart in mouth stuff.

Danny Lee from New Zealand is the other man threatening at the head of affairs, he is six under through 15.

1522 Damien McGrane missed the 11th on the opposite side to Harrington and McDowell and he gets his relatively simple chip close - should be a par four for him.

McDowell's effort runs past the hole and he has a tough putt coming up.

Harrington plays a lovely little chip, bumping a low shot into the slope and running it to within a foot. Very canny from the two-time Open winner.

Haig has bunkered his tee shot on 18 - those bunkers on the right of the fairway.

1520 Graeme McDowell is going along nicely - two under after

But he's has hung one out to the right on the 11th. Harrington has also pushed it out to the right, within a few yards of McDowell's ball.

Tough little chips coming up, both men are short-sided and a few feet below the hole.

On 10, Lowry was actually just about on the putting surface and he has putted well to within a few feet of the hole.

On 11, Fisher has crashed his short-range birdie effort well past the hole - more work to do and perhaps an indication of the part of his game that is keeping holding him back these days.

Anton Haig is now the sole leader after a birdie on 17, he has moved to seven under.

1515 Defending champions Shane Lowry, Ross Fisher and David Horsey are on the 10th.

Lowry has missed the green and the Offaly man needs to find his game soon if he is to stay in touch with the front runners - he is one over.

Fisher has hit a smashing shot in and will have a good chance at birdie while Horsey has also found the putting surface.

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1500 Denmark's Anders Hansen moves to five under, he is one of a number of players to eagle the seventh and has just made birdie at 12.

1450 Gareth Maybin and Simon Thornton finished level par by the way.

1446 David Higgins (10) joins Barrie Trainor (17) on two-under. We're still awaiting a big move from the likes of Harrington, McDowell and Lowry.

1444 Italian teenager Matteo Manassero's record of not missing a cut as a professional is in jeopardy after he was given a two-stroke penalty following his first round.

The 17-year-old signed for a one over par 72 when his opening bogey five was turned into a triple bogey seven for kicking some stones.

Manassero's mistake was to do it before he had escaped from the rocky edge of Lough Leane.

Because he was still not out of the hazard after his first attempt, touching or moving loose impediments was not allowed.

1440 South African Anton Haig, a relative unknown on the Tour, has made five birdies without dropping a shot so far today. He has reached the 15th on five-under.

1431 Damien McGrane has shown some great form at times on the Tour this year and his Irish Open has started very well. He's picked up shots at the first and seventh hole.

1430 Anthony from Dublin offers this insight on Dan Sugrue:

'Hopefully Dan Sugrue (see 1312) can shoot a better round tomorrow.

Nice fella, and a decent five-a-side goalkeeper too! He's actually rewarding his small but loyal fan club with a trip to Killarney next week for a few post-Open beers.'

1427 Harrington has also moved to one-under at the seventh but there is a bogey for Shane Lowry at six.

1423 Graeme McDowell makes his first birdie of the day at the par-five seventh. It'd be great to have another Irish player to make another charge at the leaderboard with McIlroy, Clarke and McGinley so well-placed.

1419 Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Gonnet has finished his round with four consecutive birdies to move to five-under.

1415 A reminded that Richard Green is our leader, one shot clear of Darren Clarke, Paul Lawrie and Marcel Siem.

1405 McDowell and Harrington stand level par after six.

1400 Barrie Trainor has dropped a shot, the Ulster man is now at two-under par.

1330 Siem makes par at the last to stay with Darren Clarke and Paul Lawrie on five-under.

1326 Harrington and McDowell reach the fifth tee, no bogeys so far.

1318 Not as much action at the top of the leaderboard at the moment, except for some great scoring by Marcel Siem. Birdies at 15, 16 and 17 leave the Germany a shot off the leader Green.

1315 A bogey on the tricky 18th means Peter Lawrie finishes one-over par.

1314 Gareth Maybin's good work unravels thanks to a double bogey on 17. Maybin is back to one-under.

1313 A poor day's play by Philip Walton who cards a 79.

1312 Daniel Sugrue has finished one shot worse, three-over.

1310 Amateur Paul Cutler has carded a 73, two-over par.

1300 The big guns are out! Defending champion Shane Lowry has started with a birdie. McDowell and Harrington with two pars each.

1255 Lawrie finds himself in the bunken on 18 and it leads to a dropped shot. The Open champion of 11 years ago has to settle for a 66.

1253 Ulster's Barrie Trainor is having a superb time of it, four birdies in as many holes leaves him on three-under.

1252 Edfors and Siem go to four-under after good birdie runs from both. The duo are on the 17th.

1247 Bogey-season. Molinari recedes to four under while Khan also puts a late blemish on his round. Four and three-under respectively.

1245 Justin Rose with a bogey (not a word I've used too often today) to finish with a 74. Strangely sub-standard from the Englishman after some very good showings in the US.

1243 Paul Lawrie has been very quietly moving up the leaderboard, birdies at 16 and 17 for the Scot. He is on the 18th green now and finds the bunker but with a decent lie.

1239 But another birdie for Gareth Maybin, he joins McGinley on three-under.

1237 Mixed news for the Irish as McGinley drops a shot at 18 after that poor chip-in. McGinley cards a three-under 68.....

1235 Clarke does well to save par on the 18th after two-poor approach shots. Great round by the Ryder Cup vice-captain.

1234 McIlroy two-putts on 18 to secure his par and a finish on four-under.

1231 Paul O'Brien with a theory on Clarke that many pundits hold:

'I think Clarke's inclusion into the Ryder Cup set up as Vice-Captain has given him the confidence to go out and play his natural gold.

'He is probably very eager to make the team outright but the fact he is now included in some form has enabled him to relax and enjoy is golf.'

1229 Molinari and Paul Lawrie move to five-under as Khan misses a chance to join them on the 17th. Green made was four under for the last seven holes.

1226 Poor effort from McGinley off the 18th green, he misjudges the angle of the green and has a very tough putt for a par. It'll be a shame if he moves back to three-under.

1225 What a way to finish off a round. Big putt from Green on 18, he judges it perfectly from about 25 feet and takes a one-shot lead. He'll be a very happy man in the clubhouse.

1224 Harrington, McDowell and Lowry will tee off in a mtter of moments.

1220 McIlroy made his fifth par of the day on the 16th. Clarke also with par on 17.

1213 Better still Gareth Maybin is having a very steady round, two under after 15.

1212 Clarke and McIlroy are on the 17th green, 20 feet or so to the pin.

1209 Some of the Irish players are struggling out there. Michael Collins is 11-over after 14. Former Tour-regular Philip Walton is on seven-over. Gary David Cullen is five shots over, while Peter T Martin and Daniel Sugrue are still on course and on four and three-over respectively. I'll have better news in a minute, I promise!

1208 The rest of the field breath a sigh of relief as Green misses a chance for a two-shot lead at 17. Green settles for par, he will approach 18 with McGinley in tow.

1207 McGinley shows frustration at missing a birdie chance at 17 as the ball clips the cup and stays out.

1203 Paul Lawrie's putt at 15 has too much on it and he is left with a tricky par putt.

1202 Clarke can two-putt for birdie at 16 and that is just what he does. The first was on the far side away from the hole but his effort rolls up just short.

1159 McIlroy finds himself in the bunker at the par-five 16th. It is a difficult chip up, his shot is just short and off the green. He should make par but the par fives are a big target at this course.

1156 Richard Green ends Irish dominance at the top of the leaderboard with a birdie at 16. The Australian leads by a stroke.

1154 Disappointing finish for Sjoland as he misses a five-foot putt for par on the 18th. He is the clubhouse leader at three-under.

1147 Sjoland is on the 18th and will take the clubhouse lead with a good finish here.

1141 Good scoring in recent moments, England's Simon Khan moves to three-under with a excellently judged putt on 14.

1139 Rory McIlroy roars back up the leaderboard with birdies at 13 and 14. His putt at 14 was well-held and right into the middle of the hole. McIlroy is now on three-under.

1138 Tough uphill putt for Clarke at 15, very difficult putt and it comes up short. He taps in for par.

1133 Ariel Canate and Francesco Molinari swap places as Canate makes birdie at 10 and Molinari loses a stroke at 13. A very even start in Killarney, scores has not quite been as good as expected but the leaders will be quite happy.

1126 Our early leader Patrik Sjoland makes a return to the summit after picking up a shot on 16. That makes it six players tied for the lead on four-under.

1124 Clarke's birdie effort at 14 rolls just past the hole. He will stay at four-under.

1116 Birdies galore and we now have a five-way tie for the lead. Francesco Molinari, Paul Lawrie and Richard Green move to four under. Green chipped in from well off the green, superb shot.

1109 McIlroy drops another shot after his putt at 12 comes up short.

1106 Scotland's Paul Lawrie joins the Irish duo on four under after five birdies and a bogey so far.

1104 Three pars in-a-row for Paul McGinley, he continues to hold the lead along with Darren Clarke after 13 holes.

1052 Molinari with a simple birdie to continue his fine form in Europe recently, now three-under. Justin Rose saves his par at 10 to remain on one over.

1047 McIlroy is struggling to find any consistency, another bogey, this time at 11. Sjoland makes part at 14 to stay on the heels of the Ryder captain.

1040 The Ryder Cup vice-captains lead the Irish Open. Clarke has birdied the 11th to join McGinley on four-under.

1028 Australia's Richard Green and Ariel Canate of Argentina are on two-under.

McGinley chips from off the green to within 10 feet of the hole at 11, that should be a par.

1026 McIlroy makes that birdie to move back to within a shot of McGinley.

1016 Disappointment for McIlroy as he makes a second successive bogey. He is well-placed for birdie at 10 however.

1014 A first blemish of the day for McGinley, he has bogeyd the ninth hole to move back to four under.

1010 Superb first nine holes by Darren Clarke. He makes an excellent birdie from the edge of the green to go to three-under par.

1003 Alan Chandley has e-mailed to find out what time Graeme McDowell is out. The US Open champion begins his round at 12:25.

1000 Bogey for McIlroy at the 410-yard par four eighth hole. The young Irish star recedes to three-under, along with Patrik Sjoland and Richard Greene. Par for McGinley at eight, retaining the two-stroke advantage.

0952 Bradley Dredge, a superb player on his day and often finding himself in contention, has had a solid start. The Welshman is two-under after 10 holes.

0950 McIlroy had made a birdie at the seventh to go within a shot of McGinley.

0944 Sjoland drops a shot at the 10th. McGinley holds a two-shot lead.

0941 Speculation that a player will produce a sub-60 score today intensifies. Eagle for McGinley at what seems the generous par-five seven. He is now five-under after seven. Brilliant stuff from McGinley. McIlroy is now on the seventh tee.

0933 According to my calculations, there are 27 Irish players in action today. A reminder that Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry are due off around 12:30.

0925 This could be great day's scoring. McGinley and McIlroy move to three-under. They trail Sjoland by one stroke. Gareth Maybin is now on one-under.

0915 Darren Clarke is one-under after five holes.

0905 Sjoland is now two shots ahead on four under. His card reads birdie at one and four, along with an eagle at the 513-yard par-five seventh.

0902 Rory is on the charge. He has joined Paul McGinley on two-under after birdies at hole two and three.

0844 Paul McGinley sits joint-top of the leaderboard with Patrik Sjoland of Sweden. The duo are on two under-par. Sjoland after six, while McGinley has just completed the fourth hole.

0830 Welcome to our coverage of the 3 Irish Open. There are plenty of Irish players out on the course already and, happily, they sit at the top of the leaderboard.