Rose makes fast start to Irish Open

PORTSTEWART, Northern Ireland: Olympic champion Justin Rose fired an impressive five-under-par 67 to sit two strokes behind early clubhouse leaders Oliver Fisher and Matthew Southgate at the Irish Open on Thursday.
The world No. 13 capped his round with a fifth-hole eagle in a bogey-free display in relatively benign conditions on the opening day at Portstewart.
Rose has not contested an Irish Open in seven years, and along with holing the 25-footer on the fifth green, he recorded birdies at the fourth, 10th and 11th holes.
“God knows how I was bogey-free given some of the places that I hit it today so delighted with that start,” said Rose, who is yet to win a professional title since his Olympic triumph in Rio de Janeiro last summer.
“I think it was more a good score than good golf. I didn’t drive the ball particularly well.
“Early on in my round, I was losing shots to the right and kind of figured it out a little bit. You know, then I think the key was hitting some good tee shots on the early par fives, birdie, eagle.
“To get three-under par through five holes, having played most of the holes quite poorly, was kind of a nice momentum booster.”
Southgate, 28, was out in the very first group and did not drop a shot in his seven-under-par 65, before being joined by Fisher, who capped his round with an eagle and five straight birdies from his fourth hole.
Two players — Scotland’s David Drysdale and former winner Jamie Donaldson — were in the clubhouse on six under.
Southgate’s effort is just a stroke shy of his European Tour low, as the Essex golfer looks not only to secure a first Tour victory but also retain full membership after finally securing his main tour card for last season following a scare with testicular cancer in 2015.
“We walked the course yesterday, and I think when you walk a course, you just sort of see where you want to hit it rather than any of the troubles,” he said.
“So, I think it maybe acted as a positive for us. I love the golf course and obviously that showed in the score today.
“Also, it’s been a long time since I’ve gone bogey-free, and that was in my mind because I knew I was swinging it well enough to go bogey-free.”
Like his fellow Englishmen Southgate and Rose, Fisher took full advantage of the excellent scoring conditions.
“I would have taken that score going out this morning and just a shame to bogey the last,” said Fisher.
“I was fortunate enough to have a good little spell in my round where I made a few birdies and I hit some good wedge shots.”