European Tour Dubai Duty Free Irish Open presented by the Rory McIlroy foundation leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018056/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y#/leaderboard
For those of you who used to skip geography class, Ballyfillin Golf Club is just about right at the top of Ireland, where the North Atlantic meets the Irish Sea and watching this morning it simply looked stunning, bathed in sunshine on its Irish Open debut as the European Tour's summer links run got under way, with the Scottish Open at Gullane to follow then the Open at Carnoustie, both on Scotland's east coast. You really have to get to Scotland and Ireland to make your golfing life complete, there is nothing like it, nothing.
Kiwi Ryan Fox made the most of the conditions in the morning wave to shoot 67 -5 for the clubhouse lead, a shot clear of home hero Padraig Harrington, English duo Ashley Chesters and Robert Rock, and French pair Matthieu Pavon and Adrien Saddier, all at -4 68.
Fox apparently has four top tens from the 11 Rolex Series events played so far, including a tie for fourth here last season. That was good enough to play his way into the Open Championship, and he is once again looking for one of the three places available to the leading players in the top ten not already exempt.
Rory made the turn at -1, he is in the late wave. You'll notice many differences playing links golf, including how often players are using long irons off the tee, and in many cases driving over 300 yards. The fairways are narrow and running, and will get faster with no rain in the forecast. The rough is not penal unless you really miss and there is no wind, most unusual. The bunkers have the steep, sodded faces so typical of links, and the winner will have made a visit to them least often.
More to follow...
Bryan Angus
(notes from europeantour.com)
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