Advertisement
Peter Lawrie ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
Golf

Lawrie leads the way at the Czech Open

Prosper Golf Resort has proven a happy hunting ground for the Irish on day one of the Czech Open.

THE APPROPRIATELY TITLED Prosper Golf Resort has proven the venue for a spectacular return to form for Ireland’s Peter Lawrie.

Playing in the first round of the Czech Open, his  first tournament since a top-ten at last month’s Irish Open, the Dubliner fired a bogey-free 66, enough for a one-shot lead over a trio of challengers that includes Damien McGrane.

Not content to be outshone by his compatriots, former Irish Open winner Shane Lowry managed to set three birdies and an eagle against a solitary bogey en route to carding a four-under-par 68.

2002 Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley sits in a tie for seventh, a shot further adrift.

Though he has been one of the European Tour’s most consistent performers in recent years, Lawrie is without a win since the 2008 Spanish Open. Should that drought come to an end this Sunday, he’d move comfortably into the top-60 on the Race  to Dubai rankings and within striking distance of a place at the lucrative, season-ending  Dubai World Championship.

The concerns of McGrane, however, are more pressing. Having slipped to 104th on the tour’s Order of Merit, the Kells native will be looking for a finish capable of guaranteeing his playing status for next season.

Poll: is José Mourinho bad for football?>

Why is the NBA’s Delonté West applying for a job at Home Depot?>

YouTube top 10: because Bobby Charlton brings all the girls to the yard>