Jonathan Caldwell sits three shots off the lead after a promising opening-round 65 at the Made in HimmerLand event in Denmark.
England's Ross McGowan leads the way on nine-under-par with Paul Dunne five shots back and Cormac Sharvin and Gavin Moynihan on level par after Thursday’s action.
It’s Caldwell who leads the Irish charge though after making his move on the front nine with four birdies between the third and eighth holes. Two more birdies followed after the turn, with a 41-foot putt at the 13th the highlight.
Dunne sits just outside the top 30 after a real up and down round that featured eight birdies and four bogeys in all. The Wicklow native was on six-under near the end of his round but dropped shots at each of the final two holes.
Sharvin also bogeyed his last hole – the ninth – having eagled the fourth. After his tee found the right side of the fairway, his approach ended up in the hole.
Moynihan, who had also started on the ninth, looked set for a frustrating day as he was four-over after 12 holes, but he found real form coming in with four birdies taking him back to a par score.
McGowan holds a one-shot lead over Ewen Ferguson, Matthew Southgate, Justin Walters, Rasmus Højgaard and Marcus Helligkilde.
On a new course layout in Denmark, McGowan made seven birdies and chipped in for eagle at the par-five eighth for a nine-under-par 62 for a new course record.
"I'm very happy with that round, hit the ball close early doors and left myself a few birdies from four or six feet or so," McGowan told the DP World Tour website.
"I felt like it's been getting better the last few weeks but it's nice to finally put a round together and hopefully I can keep it going for the next three days."
