Keith Nolan shot an excellent two under par 68 in the first round of the Byron Nelson Classic in Texas. The Bray golfer began slowly with a bogey on the third, but quickly birdied five and nine to turn in one under. He was a model of consistency on the back nine reeling off seven straight pars before a birdie on 17 took him to two under the card, the mark on which he finished. Ireland's other representative, Birr's Richie Coughlan, began solidly shooting a level par 70. Bob Friend didn't even know what he had shot when he walked off the course, but it added up to a seven-under-par 63 and the first-round lead. Armed with his lowest round of the year by five strokes, Friend held a one-stroke lead over his boyhood idol, Tom Watson, as well as PGA Tour rookie Harrison Frazar, with defending champion Tiger Woods in a group two shots behind.

Meanwhile Kilkenny's Gary Murphy was five shots off the pace after two rounds of the European Challenge Tour's Albarella Open. Murphy fired a second round 69 to go with his opening 67 to trail Sweden's Paul Nilbrink, who was one of five players to shoot 65 yesterday. Nilbrink is on 13-under-par 131.

A closing 67 left Peter Lawrie in a share of 11th place in the opening event at the British professional tour at the Wynyard Club in Cleveland. Lawrie shot 71 and 67 on the final day for a four round aggregate of six under par 282, 10 shots behind the winner, Robert Wragg.

Warrenpoint's Jim Carville was joint 29th on 287.

Arsenal fan Trish Johnson had mixed feelings after shooting a 73 in the first round of the women's major, the LPGA Championship, in Delaware yesterday.