CHALLENGE TOUR: Finland's Roope Kakko established a course record, nine-under-par 63 to lead after the first round of the €130,000 Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge in Killarney.
A winner on the Challenge Tour as an amateur last season, the 23-year-old compiled a sensational round that included an eagle, eight birdies and just one bogey at the Donald Steel designed Lackabane Course.
Norway's Peter Kaensche and Scotland's Peter Whiteford signed for rounds of 65 to finish two strokes further back on a day when 68 players in the 156-man field broke par.
The best of the Irish were Athlone's Colm Moriarty and Dubliner Peter Williamson, who carded rounds of 68, while Cork's Pádraig Dooley and Waterville's Mark Murphy shot 69s on a perfect day for golf.
Kakko certainly found the conditions to his liking as he birdied the opening two holes before hitting a rescue wood to five feet to set up an eagle two at the 271-yard third.
He holed a 15-footer at the fourth to get to five under par, and while he dropped a shot at the next, he birdied the ninth, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th to complete a satisfying day's work in the Kingdom.
He said: "It was weird. For the first few holes I didn't feel good but the birdies just kept coming. I was four under after five with one bogey and after that I played really well."
Williamson, who gave up his job as the professional's assistant at Luttrellstown to concentrate on the PGA Europro Tour, carded a bogey-free 68, which was matched by Moriarty in the last match of the day.
But there were also encouraging performances from Cork amateurs Aaron O'Callaghan of Douglas and Mallow's Mervyn Owens, who shot two-under-par 70s and have every chance of finishing in the top 60 and ties who will make the cut.
Waterville's David Higgins, who is ranked second in the Challenge Tour ranking, also finished on two under par alongside Shane Franklin and Dundalk's Leslie Walker, while former British Amateur champion Michael Hoey struggled with his swing and his putting but still managed a one-over-par 73.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Greg Norman picked up where he left off in last week's Senior British Open to fire a three-under-par 68 to grab a share of the clubhouse lead early in the first round of the US equivalent in Ohio.
The Australian didn't drop a shot on the NCR Country Club to join American Dick Mast as best of the early starters in the Senior US Open.
American Tom Purtzer was leader on the course at four under through 10 holes.
And after their duel last week in Scotland, Des Smyth and Tom Watson could still not be separated. Playing together, they were both one under par through the first 11 holes to lie in the top 20.
US TOUR: New British Open champion Tiger Woods mustered a 71 to finish seven strokes behind early leader Nick Watney in the first round of the Buick Open at Grand Blanc, Michigan, yesterday.
Watney, who has failed to make the cut in his last seven PGA Tour events, looks poised to break out of his tailspin after grabbing a two-shot lead over Neal Lancaster thanks to an opening 64 at the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club.
But defending champion and world number two Vijay Singh was sprinting through the field in the $4.6 million event and was just a shot back on seven under after 14 holes.
