Irish Open:Shane Lowry upstaged all his Irish professional countrymen on the opening day of the 3 Irish Open at Co Louth Golf Club (Baltray) as the Esker Hills player carded an impressive five-under par 67 to be just four off the runaway lead set by Italy's Francesco Molinari.

Lowry started at 10th and made a slow start with two bogeys on his opening four holes. However, he quickly regained his composure on his European Tour debut by reeling off three birdies on the spin from the 14th to turn in one-under 34.

From there the 22-year-old was flawless as he picked up four birdies and no dropped shots on his back nine, including a closing birdie three at the ninth, his 18th, to return in 33.

The plus-five handicapper has pedigree is a member of this year’s Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad and hopes to face the United States at Merion Golf Club in September.

Lowry, who won the North and West of Ireland Championships last year and the Irish Close in 2007, has played countless rounds at Baltray and put his familiarity of the Louth links to good use as he mixed it with Europe’s elite in one of the performances of the day.

He also comes from a sporting background after his father Brendan and uncles, Sean and Mick, played on the Offaly side who tasted All-Ireland success in 1982.

When Lowry was competing in the East of Ireland Championship at Baltray a couple of years ago his clubs were stolen from the car park. He has twice finished third at Baltray, perennial home to one of the GUI’s major championships.

The Ireland international finds himself four off the lead set by Molinari who recorded no less than eight birdies, an eagle at the third, with his only dropped shot coming at the 11th for a course record round of 63.

“I enjoy links golf and I enjoyed it a lot today,” smiled Molinari, whose older brother Edoardo was US Amateur champion in 2005. “I played a lot of links golf as an amateur and it’s just a matter of getting used to it again.”

Molinari’s nine-under score was good enough to overtake Johan Edfors late in the day after the Swede had reduced Baltray to a 10-birdie round of 64. Edfors had just two dropped shots at the fifth and 15th but they were completely overshadowed by the 10 birdies on his card.

Molinari finds himself three ahead of a large chasing pack including, Jamie Donaldson, Nick Dougherty, Robert Rock, Oliver Wilson, Roope Kakko, Shiv Kapur and former British Open champion Paul Lawrie, who all shoy 66s.

Rory McIlroy and Damien McGrane were next best of the record 22 Irish contingent on three-under. Like Lowry, McIlroy also made a slow start with two bogeys in his first three holes after starting at the 10th.

From there the 20-year-old found five birdies and no dropped shots to sign for an opening 69 to leave the tournament’s second favourite well placed.

Kilkenny’s Gary Murphy, who now lives a stone’s throw away from Baltray, opened with a two-under 70.

Darren Clarke shot a respectable 71 and was joined by this year’s Portuguese Open winner Michael Hoey and Paul McGinley, who was today named the captain of the Britain and Ireland side to take on Continental Europe in the Vivendi Trophy – formerly the Seve Trophy – in Paris.

Veteran Des Smyth and Peter Lawrie were round in level par. If local knowledge counts for anything 56-year-old Smyth will still fancy his chances for the Drogheda native honed his game in these parts since he turned professional way back in 1974.

There was disappointment three-time major winner Pádraig Harrington who is still struggling to find his A-game and could only manage a one-over 73 in the more difficult afternoon conditions. The 2007 Irish Open champion was joined by Ballyclare’s Gareth Maybin and Irish PGA professional Barrie Trainor.

“I felt good about a lot of things strangely enough,” said Harrington, who is commuting by helicopter this week and trying to look on the bright side of things. “I will focus on that and in three months I could be on top of the world.

“I was always hanging on in there, but that’s how the game is. Some days it just does not go for you and some days everything goes for you. I’ve just got to stay patient.”

European Tour graduate Jonathan Caldwell, former Irish PGA Order of Merit Simon Thornton and amateur Eoin Arthurs all shot 76.

One of the biggest disappointments on the opening day was witnessing Graeme McDowell’s name near the bottom of the pile. The Portrush pro struggled to an uncharacteristic 77 and has much work to do to simply make the cut. Ashbourne’s John Dwyer also shot 77.

John Daly completes his three-week stint competing in Europe and nobody can accuse the brash American of being all-talk and no trousers. Although his attire has been more akin to that of a circus clown when competing at the Spanish, Italian and now the Irish Open, he has also let his golf do the talking. That said the loud trousers were covered up with wetgear as poor conditions prevailed in Baltray.

Daly finished runner-up in Turin last week and today shot an opening 68 while playing alongside McGinley, who is another with local knowledge on his side as he grew up playing Baltray in his junior days

Irish first round scores (Par 72)
(22 Irish players in total)

67- Shane Lowry*
69- Rory McIlroy, Damien McGrane
70- Gary Murphy
71- Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Michael Hoey
72- Des Smyth, Peter Lawrie, Noel Fox, Eamonn Brady
73- Barrie Trainor, Gareth Maybin, Padraig Harrington
74- Philip Walton
75- Michael McGeady
76- Jonathan Caldwell, Simon Thornton, Damian Mooney, Eoin Arthurs*
77- Graeme McDowell, John Dwyer