Galgorm 66 for Gros

Getty Images

Sebastien Gros credited the friendly atmosphere in his group for inspiring him and his two playing partners, Haydn Porteous and Simon Thornton, to a combined total of 16 under on the opening morning of the Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank.

The Frenchman, currently second in the Road to Oman Rankings, shot a five under par round of 66, the same as Irishman Thornton, while South African Porteous was one shot better still and tied for the lead, making the three-ball an aggregate 16 under through round one at Galgorm Castle.

The 25 year old from Lyon has been in sensational form this season, notching a win at his home Najeti Open Presented by Neuflize OBC as well as three other top five finishes, and was happy to take advantage of benign conditions in the early stages of the first round to put himself in contention for another strong finish.

“It does make it easier when your playing partners are also playing well,” he said. “There was a really nice spirit in our game, all three of us were very friendly, and I think it’s more the fact that the two others are so friendly that helps you play well.

“Low scoring is always good but it didn’t really feel like we were going low, it was more the attitude of all three of us that was good and probably helped us all feel more comfortable and play as well as we did.

Conditions were perfect today, compared to yesterday especially. I’m very happy with the weather this morning, now I hope it doesn’t stay like that for the rest of the day!

“I’m delighted with the start I’ve made because this course is not easy so it’s always good to get an under par score.

“You have to drive the ball pretty well around here, and the greens are not very well defended, so if you put yourself in good positions off the tee you won’t have too many long shots in.

“There are a few key holes to get through but the wind was kind this morning, but the key is just to hit the fairways and then scoring can come slightly easier.

“I’m very happy with my season so far. I’ve had a few mistakes in my attitude in the last few weeks, where I’ve had good first rounds but not good finishes because I’ve started going a bit crazy in trying to get under par rounds when I’ve made a fast start.

“Hopefully I won’t make the same mistake this week, just try to focus on the easiest things to do.

Related articles

• Jang defies bad back to grab LPGA lead
• Oosthuizen Rekindling Love Affair With St Andrews
• Quicken Loans National 2015: Leaderboard Scores and Highlights from Thursday
• Leishman takes Open misfortune in his stride after wife's illness
• Golf-Woods plays like he practiced - poorly
• Woods in contention at Quicken Loans after a 5-under 66

Hoey Set for Galgorm Challenge

Michael Hoey completes a hat-trick of years as Tournament Ambassador for the Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank this week with his enthusiasm for both Northern Irish golf and the important role the European Challenge Tour plays in players’ development unabated.

The 36 year old has been involved in the tournament ever since its inception in 2013 and has seen it grow to become the best-attended event on the Challenge Tour, with more than 30,000 fans turning out last year and more expected this week.

Since graduating from the Challenge Tour, Hoey has won five times on The European Tour, and he is excited by the prospect of being joined by more of his countrymen in the near future.

“We haven’t always had that much depth in Northern Irish golf,” he said. “I know we’ve had the tip of the iceberg in Rory (McIlroy), Graeme (McDowell) and Darren (Clarke) and it’s been unbelievable, but myself and Gareth Maybin have been the only others on The European Tour.

“We need a few more additions to that I think, but it looks like we’re going to get them pretty soon. Chris Selfridge has just turned professional and has done great. It looks like he’s going to be on The European Tour very soon and certainly he’s going to be on the Challenge Tour because he’s done well enough.

“Young Tom McKibbin (pictured below) just won the Under 12 World Junior Championships over in America and he’s played the pro-am this week, so he’s a great addition to our field.

“He’s doing what Rory did when he was that age by winning that, which is awesome. My coach Johnny Foster has a lot of young talent, not just Tom but a lot of other teenagers coming through.

“There are a lot of Northern Irish guys coming through, be they from Tom’s age through to Chris.

“I’ve played Challenge Tour myself so I know what it’s like. There’s a lot of good young players this week who will be wanting to get onto The European Tour, some of the older guys who will want to get back on, so there’s a lot of different perspectives this week from young guys to old guys to local talent to people from all over the world.

“I got on The European Tour in 2006 from finishing in the Challenge Tour top ten in 2005 but then my game wasn’t good enough to stay there.

“I came back onto the Challenge Tour in 2008, won a couple of times, was around 20th but not quite inside the top 20, but playing on the Challenge Tour for those years really helped me when I got back on The European Tour.

“But the standard on the Challenge Tour is really good and those years taught me a lot, having somewhere that’s very competitive and you play four rounds of golf.

“It’s a massively important thing and the standard’s getting better every week, the scoring’s really good and it’s a great tour.”

There's a lot of Northern Irish guys coming through and the Northern Ireland Open has a great atmosphere - it feels like a European Tour event with the crowds we get

Hoey comes into this week showing good form after reaching the quarter finals at last week’s Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay, though he admits he is more concerned with making this week’s event as successful as possible than any personal glory.

“My golf is not that important this week,” he said. “Obviously I’d like to do as well as I can, but it’s a different position to be in as Tournament Ambassador, and the money doesn’t count towards The European Tour.

“Three years ago the guys up here got in contact with us and needed help from the government and needed a named player.

“I was able, because I was playing on The European Tour, to use my name and help with some funding for the tournament and I think that’s made a big difference, and I’m fortunate to have been in a position to be able to do that.

“Getting all the sponsors involved has been difficult, but Ulster Bank and all the other smaller sponsors have been great, and this year Sphere Global are involved as well which is fantastic, they’re a really successful company.

“It feels like a European Tour event with the crowds we get. It’s a great atmosphere if the weather’s decent, though it doesn’t matter how bad the weather is because a lot of people will always come out to watch. It’s one of the premier events on the Challenge Tour so I’m looking forward to it.”

Related articles

• Warren Eagles 1st Extra Hole to Reach Match Play Semifinals
• Michael Hoey to face Kiradech Aphibarnrat in Paul Lawrie Matchplay quarter-finals
• Oman Road for McGee
• Marc Warren eagle seals place in Paul Lawrie Matchplay semis
• Golf Capsules
• Merritt, Chappell share lead at Quicken Loans National

Oman Road for McGee

Getty Images

Ruaidhri McGee, the highest-ranked Irishman in the Road to Oman Rankings, is hoping that home comforts can drive him to a maiden European Challenge Tour title at this week’s Northern Ireland Open in Association with Sphere Global and Ulster Bank.

The 24 year old has recorded four top ten finishes this season, including a runner-up at the Challenge de Madrid in April and a share of third place at June’s KPMG Trophy, but is yet to register that elusive first victory on the European Challenge Tour.

McGee lives an hour from Galgorm Castle, which is this week hosting the third edition of the best-attended event on the schedule and so will have the rare pleasure of sleeping at home during tournament week.

Having suffered the disappointment of being forced to retire midway through his opening round last year due to illness, the Derryman is relishing the opportunity to return on the back of his good progress this year.

“It will be nice to sleep in my own bed and there is always great support so I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

“It was really unfortunate last year. I was really looking forward to playing this event. It was shaping up to be a good week and then I got sick. I tried to play - I played six holes - but I couldn’t hit the ball at all. It wasn’t great but I didn’t have a choice at the time.

I'm looking forward to getting back to Galgorm - it's definitely the best tournament of the year for crowds

“I’m looking forward to getting back there now, being healthy and giving it a go. Galgorm is a place that I’ve played at a lot of times.

“It’s a great course, really nice, and it’s tight as well so I think it suits my game. The greens are really good too so it’s a good setup there. I’ve had a few good rounds there in the past so I have good memories.

“It’s a great tournament, the crowds make it – I think it’s definitely the best tournament of the year for that. It feels like a European Tour event and it’s great to play in front of so many people in that atmosphere.”

McGee has struggled with a dip in form in the last month or so and he admits that, having got off to a flying start – at one point reaching third place in the Road to Oman Rankings, he did find himself worrying too much about where he stood on the year-long list at the conclusion of each week.

“I think you end up checking the Rankings out after every tournament to see where you’ve moved to but I think it’s easily done,” he said. “It’s just natural, but I’m going to try and do my best now not to look at it and just look at it in November.

“I feel like I’m playing well, I’m just trying to forget about the Rankings now and get back to playing. Hopefully now I can hole a few putts and get a good strong finish to the year.”

McGee is joined by a host of home stars from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, including five-time European Tour winner and this week’s Tournament host Michael Hoey.

He is joined by fellow former European Tour winners Damien McGrane and Simon Thornton, as well as Rhys Davies and Phillip Price of Wales, Argentina’s Daniel Vancsik, Dane Jeppe Pape Huldahl and Englishmen Nick Dougherty, Kenneth Ferrie and Ross McGowan.

Related articles

• Rise in illegal immigrants at ports
• ISL 2015: Mumbai City FC sign Spaniards Juan Núñez, Darren O'dea
• Keeper Peter Burke Signs for Reds
• Mental health: Where to get support if you have been affected
• Your everlasting light - A SATURDAY THOUGHT
• ISIF moves into residential property funding

McIlroy in Major Miss Two

Getty Images

Rory McIlroy will not be fit for next week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

The reigning champion has told organisers he will not be defending his title at the Firestone Country Club as he continues his recovery from a ruptured ankle ligament.

McIlroy's short statement made no mention of when he might return from the injury, suffered during a kickabout with friends earlier this month.

The damage has already prevented him defending his Open Championship title, and the latest withdrawal will raise further question marks about the likelihood of the world No 1 playing the season's final major - the USPGA at Whistling Straits next month.

After Rory McIlroy ruptured his ligaments playing football, we look at others who injured themselves

At the time of his Open withdrawal McIlroy said only that he was taking a "long-term view" and hoped to return "as soon as I can".

In a short statement he said: "Unfortunately I will not be defending my title. Best of luck to the rest of the competitors and I look forward to returning to Firestone in 2016."

And tournament officials have announced that four-time PGA Tour winner Chris Kirk will not compete in Akron after failing to recover from the broken hand he suffered while playing with his children before the Open Championship.

Related articles

• Rory McIlroy out of WGC-Bridgestone event as injury threatens US PGA defence
• Sports Briefing | Golf: Rory McIlroy Will Sit Out Bridgestone
• Alex Davidson, Golf Author and Commentator, Releases New Interview on...
• Rory McIlroy to miss Bridgestone Invitational through injury
• Rory McIlroy to miss Bridgestone Invitational while recovering from ankle injury
• McIlroy remains world No. 1 after British Open

Hoey on Swiss Roll

Getty Images

Michael Hoey carded an early hole-in-one as he opened his Omega European Masters campaign with a five-under 65 to lie two shots off first-round leader Gregory Havret at Crans Montana in Switzerland.

In a first-round that was delayed due to fog on the mountain-top Crans-sur-Sierre course, Hoey aced the the 191-yard third hole after opening with two pars.

The 36-year-old from Ballymoney in Antrim dropped a shot at the short par-four fifth but a birdie three on the seventh helped him turn in two-under 33.

A second birdie of the day came on the 10th before back-to-back gains on the 14th and 15th moved him to five under. He dropped a second shot on the 16th but finished on a high with a birdie three on the 18th.

Havret also had a hole in one early in his round as he shot to the top of the leaderboard with a 63. After starting with a bogey on the 10th, the Frenchman holed his tee-shot on the 195-yard 13th and followed it up with back-to-back birdie fours on par-five 14th and 15th holes to move to three under.

Six straight pars followed for the three-time European Tour winner before another scoring burst came with back-to-back birdie threes on the fourth and fifth and a second eagle of the day on the short par-four seventh.

Speaking about his hole-in-one, Havret said: “It’s a little bit strange, for a few seconds you don’t know what to do because you can’t believe it.

“Then when you hear everybody shouting and cheering by the green, you know it’s real and you start to go crazy yourself.

“After that happened, you couldn’t take the smile from off my face, because I knew that whatever happened for the rest of the round, I would have a very nice prize waiting for me. So I was very happy, and I play my best golf when I’m happy.”

Havret’s 63 gave him a one-shot lead over Lasse Jensen, the Dane carding six birdies and no bogeys in a 64, while Hoey is among 12 players that ended the day on five under.

Among the group was Danny Willett, who continued where he left off at the British Open, the 27-year-old English golfer including an eagle and five birdies in his round.

Willett’s fellow English golfers Seve Benson, Richard Bland and Tyrell Hatton are also on five under, along with a trio of Swedes in Pelle Edberg, Rikard Karlberg and amateurMarcus Kinhult.

The tournament, which is co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour, also saw 65s carded by Australian left-hander Richard Green, the South Korean duo of YE Yang and Seukhyun Baek and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattanond.

Welshman Bradley Dredge was one of six players on four under along with defending champion David Lipsky of America.

American Ryder Cup player Patrick Reed opened with a three-under 67 as sis Swiss amateur Marco Iten, who leads the home challenge.

Lee Westwood, whose 42 career wins include a Crans success in 1999, recovered from a poor start to reach two under with three birdies in his closing five holes.

Another to recover from a poor start was world No 10 Sergio Garcia after he opened double-bogey, bogey before four birdies rescued his day as he signed for a one-under 69.

Peter Lawrie is in a share of 21st position on three under after he carded four birdies and a bogey in his 67.

Damien McGrane finished three over par after a 73 that included six bogeys and a tough task on Friday to secure weekend action.