With some blank weeks in the European Tour schedule at this point in the season, Paul Dunne’s search for fresh pasture has taken him to the Dominican Republic.
Dunne is competing in the Corales Puntacana Championship – which is on the PGA Tour – and the Greystones golfer opened with a bogey-free 67, five-under, to get into contention.
He is playing on a sponsor’s invitation and birdied four of his opening six holes. He then reeled off nine straight pars before rediscovering his birdie touch on the Par 3 16th to make a strong start in the tournament for players not eligible to play in the WGC Match Play.
Waterford man Séamus Power also made a strong start, signing for a four-under-par 68. Power – in his second season on the US circuit and currently sitting 132nd on the FedEx Cup rankings – had just one bogey, on the ninth, to turn in one-under and then picked up birdies on the 13th, 14th and 18th to move up the leaderboard.
Graeme McDowell carded an eventful two-under 70 that included six birdies and four bogeys.
American Brice Garnett’s nine-under-par 63 gave him the early clubhouse lead, a shot clear of Canadian Correy Conners.
