It's 7.30 a.m. Niclas Fasth, this week's leader of the "dawn patrol", cracks the first tee-shot of the Smurfit European Open down the first fairway watched by a tiny crowd, amounting to a baker's dozen, which includes marshalls, the chiquita girl, who is handing out bananas, and the Coca Cola representative, dispensing liquid refreshment.
There is no young person to carry a scoreboard. At this ungodly hour, there is no need for such luxuries to accompany Fasth, Patrik Sjoland and Paul Curry who, together, comprise Match Number One. Of course, the glamour groups, out later, all have such mobile informers. But, at a going rate of £12.50 to hike around with a placard for five miles, there simply aren't enough young takers to facilitate everyone.
Anyway, you'd have needed a crystal ball to tell in advance that this particular triumvirate, two Swedes and an Englishman, with just one tour win between them, would conjure up a special sort of magic and shoot a collective, best-of-the-day 11-under-par: Fasth fired a 65, Sjoland a 68 and Curry a 72.
Kevin Moran, who lives in Bundoran, however, suspected something special was possible. He left home at 2.0 a.m. and drove through the night to the K Club, first eyeing his prey on the practice ground at 6.45 a.m. and, then, like a devoted fan, following every one of their combined 205 shots, getting soaked to the skin for his troubles. "Ah, it was worth the journey," he confessed, when the trio eventually reached the sanctuary of the clubhouse.
Indeed it was. The rewards of following the early starters include no crowd congestion, and the chance to eavesdrop on conversations between caddie and player. There is an intimate feel. And, in the circumstances, the opportunity to see two of the up-and-coming Swedes (Fasth, who won the European Tour qualifying school last year, after losing his tour card by one place, and in-form Sjoland, who shot a course record 61 in Prague two weeks ago) was particularly tempting.
They didn't disappoint. Between them, Sjoland and Fasth produced 14 birdies. "The one really big advantage about playing in the first match out is that the greens, invariably, are perfect," said Sjoland, who, along with his compatriot had left their temporary abode in the Green Isle Hotel at 5.30 a.m. and were out on the range for an hour before their start time.
In fact, the Swedish duo have, by a remarkable coincidence, played in the opening round together in their last three events: the Scandinavian Masters, the Czech Open and, now, the European Open. None of their previous opening rounds, however, matched what was produced yesterday, when they had to cope with heavy rain.
Indeed, at one stage the names of Fasth and Sjoland were atop the leaderboard. And, unlike another Swede who shall remain nameless who probably lost the 1994 British Open at Turnberry because of his failure to look at scoreboards, Sjoland took considerable amusement in the fact that "Coulthard" - the Formula One version, rather than a certain Andrew Coltart - was deemed to be racing up on them, according to the board at the back of the 14th green.
Of course, it is not only the players who need to be early risers when handed the dreaded first off slot on the time-sheet. Yesterday, Curry's caddie, Nick Mumford, was breakfasted and present at the clubhouse when his master arrived.
"I had cleaned and scrubbed the grips the previous night and ensured everything was ready so that we could be on the range by 6.30 a.m.," explained Mumford.
