As if to confirm that old cliche that the early-bird catches the worm, the first two teams out in yesterday's pre-tournament Irish Open Pro-Am captured the main honours. In fact, Des Smyth's team - who started proceedings at 7.15 a.m. from the 10th - managed to hold off all-comers to take first place with a Stableford score of 86 points.

In fact, the nearest challengers to Smyth and company at the end of the day came from Sweden's Robert Karlsson and a team representing the Irish Golf Writers' Association, who finished with 83 points, and who started their round at the opposite end of the course at precisely the same time.

Smyth's team of Eugene O'Doherty, Ronnie Cosgrave and Tom Cleary - all members of Druids Glen and who represent the Scafform Company, responsible for erecting the stands at the Irish Open - had a flying start when 13-handicapper O'Doherty birdied the 10th and team-mate Cosgrave rowed in for a par to give them seven points.

The fifth and sixth provided the highlight of the IGWA's score. At the fifth, Dermot Gilleece flicked a sand-wedge to two inches for a tap-in birdie and professional Karlsson followed him in with a 15 footer for birdie to give them seven points. And, at the sixth, both Philip Reid and Charlie Mulqueen produced pars for six points.