Open de Portugal:Ireland's Damien McGrane set the pace in the first round of the Estoril Open de Portugal this afternoon when he carded an eight-under-par 64 to hold a share of the lead with England's Luke Goddard.
The Wexford golfer was a late starter and watched a host of players card low scores ahead of him but trumped them all when he holed eight birdies in a perfect round. He had to settle for a share of the lead, however, after Goddard, ranked 1,349th in the world, birdied four-in-a-row on the way in.
McGrane, whose only win came in the 2008 China Open, picked up shots at the third, sixth and eighth to turn in 33, and the reeled off three consecutive birdies from 11, before adding two more at the 15th and 16th.
He had his putter to thank.
"I gave myself plenty of birdie chances and when they came they came fast and furious," McGrane, who picked up five shots in six holes, said.
Goddard was a late entry on a sponsor's invitate and only turned professional last October after an impressive amateur career.
The 21-year-old 2009 Walker Cup player and former English Amateur champion came to Portugal having missed every cut he had made as a professional. To try to change his luck he brought his girlfriend Lucy to caddie for him again.
Their joint efforts over the closing greens lifted him on to the top of the leaderboard.
"I was just plodding along and then holed four putts from nowhere," Goddard told reporters. "I've not had much success as a pro and Lucy caddied for me when I finished first, second and fifth as an amateur, so I decided to bring her out here."
Next of the Irish is Gary Murphy, one under after a 71, while Simon Thornton carded a single bogey for a 73 early in the day.
Darren Clarke endured a torrid time on the back nine and was forced to settle for a three-over-par 75 after four consecutive bogeys from the 13th.
The Dungannon was shaky early on, with bogeys at the first and third, but birdies at the sixth and 12th brought him to level par before it all fell apart again.
Mercifully, he picked up a birdie at the 18th to end on a bright note.
Murphy was playing with Welshman Stuart Manley, who briefly held the lead on eight under before a bogey at the last, his ninth.
He’s a shot adrift of McGrane and has Denmark’s Erik Tage Johanssen for company, while Richard Bland of England and Australian Andrew Tampion are six under.
Another Dane, Thomas Bjorn, continued his revival in form with a 67 to lie a further stroke back.