Thriston Lawrence made just a single bogey on Thursday in the first round of the DP World Tour’s Horizon Irish Open at Mount Juliet Estate, and went on to sign for a six-under-par 66 to be just two shots off the lead.
Lawrence, who won the rain-curtailed Joburg Open right at the beginning of the DP World Tour season to punch his ticket to the Open Championship, had the best possible start to his round on the 10th, as he made eagle on the par-five. He followed it with a birdie on 11, and then picked up two more shot ahead of the turn on 14 and 17.
He made bogey on the second after turning, but two birdies in a row on four and five saw him come home in one-under 35 to share sixth place with five other players.
That group was two shots off the lead which was held by New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who rode his wonderful recent form to a superb 64. He made two birdies on his opening nine from the 10th, and then reeled off four in a row from the first after the turn. He added two more to his tally on the sixth and eighth, and he led four players who shared second on seven-under.
Zander Lombard also had a good start, with his five-under 67 putting him in a share of 12th. Darren Fichardt and Oliver Bekker were one shot further back on four-under in a share of 23rd, with Dean Burmester and Brandon Stone on three-under in 37th.
Justin Walters and Richard Sterne each carded two-under 72, George Coetzee was on level-par, Jacques Kruyswijk and Daniel van Tonder were on four-over and Haydn Porteous on seven-over.
