Branding....
Massed umbrellas in use during the first round of the 2012 Irish Open held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on June 28, 2012 in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
6/28/2012
Foster Credits Tutu Blessing for 66
Mark Foster started the Irish Open with a 66 at Royal Portrush after receiving a blessing from South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Foster carded seven birdies to a single bogey and lies one shot off the clubhouse lead held by India's Jeev Milkha Singh.
"He (Tutu) was sat behind me on the flight over and I had my photograph taken with him," said the Worksop golfer, chasing only his second European Tour victory in more than 300 starts. "There were some others on the plane who were more excited about Ronan Keating being there, but I told him it was an honour to meet him."
He added: "You don't get a chance to meet someone like that very often and after shaking his hand he gave me God's blessing."
Perhaps just as important were some words from his wife Sophie before he headed for the airport.
"I had a massive negative not qualifying for The Open on Monday (he actually pulled out despite an opening 70 in the 36-hole event) and was really down," he said.
"But she told me I'd played well on Sunday in Germany, it's only Monday, so let's go again Tuesday. I did a good job of forgetting it and I'm really pleased with this.
"The beginning of the year was awful, I've progressively got better, but I've got to keep improving for what I'm after.
"It was just amazing out there. I got a six o'clock car to the course and, I kid you not, there were people queuing to get in - even though the rain was coming sideways.
"I've never seen a buzz in the players' lounge like there is this week. People are raving about the course and the size of the crowds."
Play set to resume at 16:40hrs
Play is set to resume at 16:40 at Royal Portrush with Jeev Milkha Singh the clubhouse leader on 7 under at The Irish Open, after a round of 65, before play was suspended due to bad weather at Royal Portrush.
The Indian carded eight birdies and a single bogey before a storm halted play for 95 minutes, with a 4.40 resumption scheduled.
“I think links golf, you have to hit a lot of low shots and you have to have a lot of imagination,” said the three-time European Tour winner.
“I think a lot of feel, imagination is required, and that's what I love about links golf.
“The atmosphere and the feel to the golf course, I think is fantastic. I think it just feels great.”
Singh was one ahead of English pair Mark Foster and Andrew Marshall, as well as Australian Matthew Zions.
Watched by a sell-out crowd - a first for The European Tour in a regular event - that included First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy Martin McGuinness, Foster was first to post a six under par 66.
The 36 year old, a winner of only one title in more than 300 starts, said: "When we came to the course the rain was sideways and yet people were queuing to get in.
"It's amazing here and I've never heard a buzz about the course that there is in the players' lounge this week.
"It was throwing it down when we got up, but that was no surprise and you've just got to be professional about it.
"At least it was not that windy. But that will come - the course will show its teeth no problem."
He was six under through ten holes himself, rolled in a nine footer on the 13th, but bogeyed the 15th after chipping into a bunker and then hitting the flagstick with his recovery.
Singh reached seven under with six to play, bogeyed the short 14th, but closed with a birdie to go back to the top on his own with a 65.
Australian Zions, a winner in St Omer last year but without a top-20 finish this campaign, had four birdies in his last five holes and said: “I got off to a good start, which I seem to be doing a lot lately.
“It was just nice to kind of tie it all together today. I did everything good, I drove it really well. The course requires a lot of accuracy off the tee, and I drove it very, very well today.”
That came just before play was suspended at 3.05pm because of an approaching storm - with Rory McIlroy two under after eight.
It was announced that, even though it was still raining hard, play would be restarting at 4.40pm - a loss of 95 minutes.
Ace Wins BMW 6 Series for Morrison
Three days after winning the Open Championship qualifier at Sunningdale, England's James Morrison had something else to celebrate - a hole-in-one on the 14th known as "Calamity Corner" earned him a BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe.
It also took the Surrey golfer to three under par at Royal Portrush, four behind Jeev Milkha Singh, who then dropped a shot to fall back to six under.
Rory McIlroy was one under after two and Darren Clarke level par after four.
England's Mark Foster was the early clubhouse leader, posting a six-under 66, and was later joined by Matthew Zions and Andrew Marshall.
Stephen Grant Makes New Goals
Former Shamrock Rovers striker Stephen Grant is making progress having switched the football field for the fairways, after a lower back problem first prompted him to hang up his football boots.
At last week’s ALLIANZ Côtes d’Armor Bretagne on the Challenge Tour, the 35 year old opened with a round of 67 before high winds in northern France blew his title tilt off track.
After such a bright start Grant was understandably disappointed with his final finish of tied 37th, but the Birr man still took plenty of encouragement from a performance which vindicated his decision to switch sports.
Before his premature retirement in 2004, Grant enjoyed a productive playing career as a striker in both his native land and across the Irish Sea in England, where he enjoyed spells with Sunderland and Burnley.
His career was bookended with two spells at Shamrock Rovers where, after scoring on his debut against Bohemians in 1996, he returned five years later and ended his playing days on a high as the club’s leading scorer in the 2003/2004 season.
Grant recalled: “I had ten good years as a footballer, and enjoyed every one of them. The thing I miss most is probably the training, because it’s a lot of fun. It’s also handy having ten other players on the team to bail you out if you’re having a bad day!
“Whereas golf is obviously an individual sport, so it’s down to you and you only. Plus there’s a bit less camaraderie and you also spend a lot longer practising, so it can be quite a lonely experience at times. But I’ve no regrets, because I’m really enjoying testing myself out here.”
As a latecomer to the game – he only picked up a golf club for the first time eight years ago – Grant is understandably keen to make up for lost time.
One of his sponsors has helped secure a number of invites on the Challenge Tour this season, and Grant is hopeful of performing well enough in his occasional appearances to secure full playing privileges for next season.
He said: “I was completely out of my depth when I turned pro only three years after touching a golf club for the first time. So I got some experience on the EPD Tour, played pretty well and was up near the top of the Order of Merit for most of the season. Then I travelled over to the States and spent a season on the Hooters Tour last year, which was another great learning experience for me.
“I think I probably jumped into the game too quickly, and expected too much of myself. Now that I’ve got a lot more experience to draw on, it should hopefully stand me in good stead this season and going forward.
“After I turned pro I was probably only making about 30 per cent of cuts. But over the last two or three years I think I’ve only missed three cuts in more than 50 events. So even though I haven’t managed to win a tournament yet, I’ve improved my consistency massively. I just want to keep playing and keep improving, and hopefully within the next couple of years I’ll make it onto The European Tour.”
Next Challenge Tour event is July 12 at the Credit Suisse Zurich.
Fast Start for Foster at Irish Open
England's Mark Foster birdied six of his first ten holes to burst into an early three stroke lead as Northern Ireland staged its first Irish Open since 1953.
Watched by a sell-out crowd which included First Minister Peter Robinson and his deputy Martin McGuinness, Foster reached the turn in a superb 31 and then two-putted the long tenth.
That put the 36 year old, with just one victory in over 300 European Tour events, six under par and two ahead of 19 year old Irish amateur Dermot McElroy, who followed an eagle on the long ninth with back-to-back birdies at the start of the inward half.
Compatriot Michael Hoey and South African Keith Horne started impressively on three under, but 2010 US Open Champion Graeme McDowell fell out of the group on minus two when he ran up a double bogey seven at the long 17th after misjudging the wind with his third shot.
McDowell admits to feeling immense pride at the staging of the event in his home town - he is a member of the adjoining Rathmore club - and Irishman Padraig Harrington, his playing partner for the first two rounds, has also spoken of how thrilled he is too at the return of the championship north of the border.
It follows a remarkable period for Ireland's golfers. Harrington won three Majors, then Rory McIlroy followed McDowell as US Open Champion and Darren Clarke, another Ulsterman, lifted The Open last July.
Harrington turned in two under after birdies at the tenth and 17th - the two back fives on the back nine - and both he and McDowell took a brief time out to shake hands with Robinson and McGuinness as they headed from the 18th green to the first tee.
The championship began in heavy rain, but much to the delight of players and fans alike the skies cleared, although dark clouds did not look far away.
McIlroy, Clarke and US PGA Champion Keegan Bradley - he has Irish roots - were among the later starters.
Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazáal was another on two under, while Scot Paul Lawrie, paired with the Spaniard for the third time in under two months, continued his bid to make a return to the European Team after 13 years by turning in one under.
His lead remained only two as Horne, four times a winner in his home country, birdied the 12th and 13th, while Harrington reached four under when he two-putted the long second and then almost aced the 174 yard next.
McDowell also birdied the second and a 15 foot putt at the difficult fourth got him back to two under, but Harrington could not make the green from the rough and bogeyed to slip back to three under.
At six under he was one ahead of Horne and Spaniard Carlos Del Moral, who turned in 32 and then birdied the 478 yard par five tenth.
Harrington, Olazábal and defending champion Simon Dyson were three under, McDowell two under and Lawrie one under alongside 1995 Open Champion John Daly and new Amateur champion Alan Dunbar, like McDowell from the nearby Rathmore club.
Dyson chipped in at the seventh, but his birdie was matched by an 18 footer from Harrington and so both moved into a tie for third on four under, two behind Foster and Horne, who two-putted the long 17th.
McIlroy Embraces Favourite Tag
Rory McIlroy has no problems with the home favourite tag at the Irish Open this week - in fact, he's embracing it.
While the Northern Irishman admits that he has struggled with the weight of expectations when playing in front of his own fans in the past, he's looking forward to the support at Royal Portrush now.
And what support there will be, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Irish Open selling out in advance for the first time in European Tour history.
"To be honest the last couple of years, I didn't really enjoy the tag of the home favourite," McIlroy told europeantour.com.
"I just didn't feel very comfortable with it - this year I really want to embrace that. You look at so many people and when they have got a home advantage, it is an advantage, and it should be not just me, but also for the other guys from here as well. It's something that you really have to embrace, and that's what I'm going to try and do this week.
"I think everyone has waited a long time for the Irish Open to come back up north and to have it played at one of the best golf courses in the world, Royal Portrush, is fantastic.
"The first ever European Tour event to sell out is something that's obviously got a lot of people very excited, and it's shaping up to be a great week.
Going to be fantastic
"It's going to be fantastic. Yesterday I played an early practice round and the people who came out to watch really created a great atmosphere. I'm looking forward to playing in front of all of them this week, and hopefully I can put on a good show.
"The golf course is in great shape - the rough's thick and greens are running well. Hopefully the weather cooperates a little bit, and it should be a great week of golf."
McIlroy's form has suffered a bit in recent months, but he feels close to getting back to where he needs to be.
"I've put ten days of really good work in," he added. "My game feels good. It actually felt pretty good at the US Open.
"I felt like it was starting to come around. In a way it couldn't be a better time to come back here and play Portrush. It brings back so many good memories, and you can feed off that, and that gives you some confidence."