Challenge Tour: Athlone's Colm Moriarty is still ironing-out swing changes since starting work with his new coach Pete Cowan but managed to open with a level par 72 on his first Challenge Tour outing of the season in Portugal.
The 26-year-old is the only Irishman competing in the Estoril Challenge at Penha Longa Golf Club, near Lisbon, and finds himself six shots off the lead held by Sweden’s Christian Nilsson.
Moriarty, who is attached to Glasson Golf and Country Club in the midlands, admits his game is certainly in a transition period since teaming-up with the highly-respected Cowan.
"It had a bit of everything today. Three birdies, three bogeys and at points it felt like I hadn’t played for three years," joked Moriarty who hasn’t played a competitive round since Tour School last November.
"All in all I was pleased with how I played and where I am going with my game and it was just nice to get the first round of the year under my belt. If we can get it going tomorrow then we won’t be far away."
