Irish Open: Padraig Harrington takes two-fold after 63 in Lahinch

Padraig Harrington went to the turn in 30 and was able to maintain his momentum on the first day in Lahinch

Padraig Harrington hit a seven-under-par 63 to take a two-shot clubhouse on the first day in the Irish Open.

The home hero, 47, went to the turn in 30 and retained his momentum to advance a group of European stars that he will delegate during the 2020 Ryder Cup.

English duo Eddie Pepperell and Lee Slattery are among the two.

Those three of the Lahinch tempo include the Northern Irish Cormac Sharvin, the Irish Shane Lowry plus the English Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

Afternoon starter Harrington, now ranked 291st in the world have not won since the 2016 Portugal Masters, both birdied par three on the outer half as he also picked up two further strokes.

After another win on the 10th, a quirky tee shot up in the short 11th he saw his only shot but an up and down fr To a greenside bunker he saw him react with a direct birdie followed by another on the 13th.

The twice-opened champion ended his day at a peak, as another great escape from the sand saw him pick up another birdie from the last one while the 2007 winner completed his lowest Irish Open round.

Harrington revises long time leaders

Harrington & # 39; s round saw him finally review the group at 65, including the Australian Wade Ormsby, who was in the first group at 06:45 BST.

Ormsby, 39, whose only previous European Tour victory was the Hong Kong Open in 2017, was added at 65 by the English pair Pepperell and Slattery plus Danish Ryder Cup player Thorbjorn Olesen, Mike Lorenzo-Vera from France and South Korea Hyo-won Park.

Lorenzo-Vera and Olesen have already secured Open Championship seats, but Slattery, Ormsby and Park are the ones competing for one of the three Royal Portrush seats available to top 10 winners this week .

Lowry, who won the tournament as an amateur in 2009, recovered from an early bogey to play five birdies when his 66 left him in a nine-strong group including Poulter, Westwood and another Englishman Oliver Wilson plus Robert from Scotland McIntyre.

Martin Kaymer, the double big winner, gave him hope for one of the three Open Championship spots, while he also shot a 66 while Tommy Fleetwood, Scotland's defending champion Russell Knox and winner J of 2017 J are on Rahm. all four behind Harrington.

Lowry promises to come more when McDowell and Clarke struggle

Lowry had a bad luck on 14

Lowry had a setback on the 14th when his approach from the rough seemed to have been set to just go over the green to hit the pin and leave him behind with a

Despite an impressive season so far, including his victory in Abu Dhabi in January, Lowry said the weight of Lahinch's home expectation left him "uncomfortable and anxious" before Thursday's round. to feel.

"Over the years I have tried to temper it and avert my expectations, but it is just so difficult," the world number 35 told Sky Sports.

"I was green at the market this morning and I just couldn't wait to continue."

Tommy Fleetwood & # 39; s three-in-a-row 67 included a double bogey on the 15th

World number 20 Fleetwood had a spot-free opening 13 holes when he went to four under 13 but double bogeyed the 15th after three moves of 15 feet for notching an eight footer for birdie at the end.

The 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, who now plays most of his golf on the Champions Tour in the US, mapped two birdies in his last four holes to draw for a one– more than 71, which was better than fellow countryman Graeme McDowell, who made a frustrated figure during his lap.

The 2010 US Open champion, using the Lahinch event to practice in some links for the Open Championship in his home Portrush, shooting shots on the second and third with his only birdie comes on the eighth .