JOHN McHENRY made his experience count to head the six strong Irish challenge when the PGA European Tour Qualifying School began at San Roque and Sotogrande yesterday.
The Cork golfer shot a level par 72 at San Roque where the pacemaker was Australian Matthew Goggin with a 67. But that left Gogging two behind the first round leader Brian Davis whose 65 at Sotogrande included seven birdies.
Belfast born Cameron Clark had a 73, Francis Howley 74, John Murray 75, while Headfort's Damian McGrane and Belfast's John Carvill both face major recovery tasks after opening with 775.
McHenry found it particularly difficult to maintain control around the greens but offset his mistakes with four birdies.
In a brisk westerly wind he started at the 10th with two pars and, although he went through the green at the 12th to drop his first shot, he, quickly retrieved it by hitting a six iron tee shot at the short 14th to two inches. He then followed up by holing a 20 foot putt, on the next green for a birdie in three.
McHenry turned a one over par 37 after failing to get up and down when he missed the 16th and 18th greens, but once again retrieved the loss by hitting a seven iron approach six feet from the flag at the first. After failing to hit the elevated short seventh, McHenry ended with his fourth birdie, getting to the rear of the long ninth with two woods, then chipping back to three feet.
McHenry, who has been granted a medical extension and put in category 12A following a hand operation last June, needs to win £32,000 in his first 13 events of 1997 to regain his category 11 exempt status. First target, however, is to be among the leading 75 and ties on Sunday night who will qualify to go forward to the final 36 holes at San Roque next Monday and Tuesday.
After a nervous start of three bogeys in the first four holes, Clark settled down to produce some impressive strokeplay. A birdie three at the seventh got him out in 37 and he made up for a miss from three feet at the 15th by running down a 15 foot birdie putt at the last.
Howley opened with a 74 at Sotogrande, where one of his partners was Murray, who is a club professional at Sidcup in Kent.
For 14 holes Howley played solid, sensible golf, making up for three putts at the third with a deft pitch to four feet for a birdie at the 11th. Another good pitch for a birdie four at the long 14th put him under par, but he then lost three shots over the next two holes.
Murray was out in a regulation 36, but then took a double bogey six at the 10th when he pulled his nine iron approach into a bunker and subsequently three putted. Although he birdied the 14th by getting home in two, three putts at the 15th, where he missed from only a foot, and a pushed drive into trees at the last, left him at three over.
McGrane got off on the wrong foot when his eight iron approach went through the 10th green and he took a bogey six. But he got out in 37 with the aid of a birdie three from six feet at the 12th, and was only two over par when he stood on the 15th tee. His drive was long and straight, but too far and he drove into the lake for a double bogey. Three putts at the eighth from 15 yards had the 25 year old hoping his fortunes will change.
Carvill also started weakly, taking a triple bogey seven at the first and struggling to the turn in 42. But he regrouped successfully to get home in 35.
