Shane Lowry and Mark Power shot four-under-par rounds of 68 to sit three shots behind round one leader Shubhankar Sharma at the Horizon Irish Open, with Rory McIlroy a shot further back at the K Club.
India golfer Sharma is one stroke clear of four players - Jordan Smith, Marcel Schneider, Ross Fisher and Thomas Bjorn - after a superb, bogey-free seven-under 65.
Starting on the 10th hole, Sharma, chasing his third European title, had birdies at 10, 16 and 17 before rounding off his first nine holes with an eagle at 18. Another birdie at the second meant he was five-under for his last five holes, with another stroke gained at the fourth.
Lowry, looking to improve his form ahead of his appearance at the Ryder Cup in three weeks' time, was in the red on ten, 13 and 15 having started on the back nine, but handed one back at 14.
Coming home, the Offalyman began with three birdies over the first four holes. He picked up another shot on eight but that was sandwiched between bogeys on seven and at his last, the ninth, to finish four under as he seeks to win a second Irish Open following his success as an amateur in 2009.
A relaxed Shane Lowry chats after his promising opening round at the Horizon Irish Open, live now on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. pic.twitter.com/1NM4gHcO4r
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Power's first round as a professional was also one to remember with a closing eagle as special moment for the 23-year-old.
The Kilkenny golfer, who secured three points out of a possible four in Great Britain and Ireland's Walker Cup defeat to the USA last weekend, started with a birdie and added another at seven in a blemish free round. A run of ten straight pars followed before chipping in from the semi rough for a grandstand finale.
McIlroy, who won the title the last time it was staged at The K Club in 2016, carded an opening 69 in glorious conditions to sit on three-under.
The world number two bogeyed his first hole of the day and drove into the water on the seventh to lie just one under par with two holes remaining, but holed from 18 feet for birdie on the eighth and four feet on the ninth.
Tom McKibbin has work to do if he wants to make the weekend having carded a level-par 72 as he failed to ignite.
An early birdie at the par-three third pointed to a good round, but it would be his sole stroke gained with a bogey at 12 being accompanied by 16 pars.
Playing partner Padraig Harrington is in a similar position as he sits on one-over-par and outside the top 100.
Harrington was under par after going out in 34, but bogeys at the 12th and 14th set him back.
Of the other Irish competing, John Murphy shot a 73 to lie at one-over par, with Conor Purcell, making his Irish Open debut, a shot worse off after a 74. Jonathan Caldwell and Walker Cup player Alex Maguire are both on four over and carding rounds of 76.
Reflecting on his round, Lowry told RTÉ that he was happy despite the final-hole blemish.
"I felt like I might have been one or two better but I'm pretty happy with how I went," he said.
"This golf course is playing pretty difficult this week and the greens are quite firm out there this morning, so I was pretty happy.
"Disappointed to bogey the last, you're always disappointed to bogey the last, but I hit the ball as well as I have done in a while, especially with my irons."
The Offaly man also said that he is hoping to take advantage of home comforts to ensure he is ready to go low again on Friday.
"I get to go home to my own house and my own bed now this afternoon, which is very nice.
"Put my feet up for a few hours and get after it tomorrow.
"Ireland-France tonight and I’ll watch some golf this afternoon. Get out there tomorrow and hopefully there’s some more of the same."
Power reflected on a superb first competitive round as a professional, which left him level with Lowry.
"I wasn't sure how fresh how I would be feeling after the high of last week, and such a stressful week it was," said the 23-year-old Kilkenny native of his Walker Cup exertions.
"But I grinded it pretty well. That's one of the strengths of my game, I'm not too flashy, I like to get stuck in and don't really mind how I do as long as I manage to grind it out.
"I felt great out there."
'Two lates birdies glossed over what was an average day' - Rory McIlroy says there is room for improvement but glad to be in the mix after an opening round 69
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 7, 2023
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As for McIlroy, well, he wasn't feeling that great about his round when he spoke afterwards.
"I think the two birdies in the last two holes sort of glossed over what was a pretty average day," he said' "Didn't really feel great with anything.
"It's hard to say I'm rusty when I've only had a week off but I just haven't had a chance to practice much and I just hit a few loose shots out there.
"Managed my game well and scraped it around in three under which is nice and sort of gets me in the tournament."
McIlroy almost pulled out of the Tour Championship with a back injury and is not yet back to full fitness, but insisted that was not an issue on the course.
"It's more that I have not been able to hit a ton of balls," the 34-year-old added.
"I'm hitting good shots but it's all about knowing your patterns and where you're missing it and where to aim and where not to aim and just being a little unsure over a couple of shots."
Defending champion Adrian Meronk, who admitted on Wednesday he was shocked and angry to be overlooked for a Ryder Cup wild card, matched the 69 of playing partner McIlroy, with the third member of the group, American Billy Horschel, also carding the same score.
Additional reporting: PA
Watch the Horizon Irish Open for all four days on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 1pm during the week and 1.10pm at the weekend
