PADRAIG HARRINTON AND Graeme McDowell are well in touch at the top of the Scottish Open leaderboard after they both carded opening rounds of 70 in Castle Stuart.
In windy conditions, both men managed to stay bogey free on the back nine, McDowell recovering from a bogey on the first and fifth hole to make the turn at even par.
Harrington also carded an early bogey, but his birdie on the first gave him the cushion for his six on the par five second. Both men managed birdies on the 10th and 16th to leave them two under par for the day.
The Irish pair are joined in a tie for third by six other men, one shot back from joint leaders Scott Hend and Felipe Aguilar.
Castle Stuart wasn’t quite as kind to the other Irish golfers in action. Shane Lowry finished five over par. It was a day to forget for the Offaly man, even the silver lining of back-to-back birdies immediately preceded a double bogey on 14.
This was pretty sweet though.
Paul McGinley also went round in 77 and Paul Dunne is a shot further back. Michael Hoey enjoyed a relatively solid day after back-to-back bogeys on three and four, carding 14 pars before slipping to a two-over par finish with a third bogey on 18.
See the full leaderboard here.
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