Marc Boucher from Carton House holds the lead after day one of the Mullingar Scratch Trophy. The 23-year old carded an opening round 67 (-5) which included five birdies and a hole in one at the par three 5th hole.
The Dubliner, playing in the first group out, had to endure a 2.5 hour delay due to fog in what is the first event in the Bridgestone Order of Merit.
“It was a solid round, I was happy enough with how I played. I got off to a little bit of a slow start through the first three but then obviously it’s a bonus getting the hole in one, that sort of kick-started my round. It felt like I made birdies where I should, a couple of short par fours and the par fives. I was really happy with the round”.
Having arrived at the course at 6am, Boucher knew a lengthy delay was inevitable. One which ultimately saw round two cancelled as a result.
“I sort of just switched off really, and then you have to get back into the green zone when I got the email to say we were out in a half an hour so I went through my warm up again and I feel I dealt well with it. I was just thinking switch off and chill in the car for a bit. I’m glad I got started on the right foot when we kicked back off”.
Boucher, who is without a championship win in over six years, is a past Irish U15 and Scottish U15 Boys Champion, winning the titles in August 2011. A former student at the University of North Carolina, Boucher returned home at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was over in college in America for my last year so obviously when the Coronavirus sort of hit we had to call that short. I got back around mid-March and didn’t really touch a club for a while. I had the duvet set up in the back garden to keep ticking over but I was raring to go. I played a lot in the club and did a bit of practice and as soon as the championships came back around I felt like my game was in good shape. I’ve been out of the winners circle, so I need to get back in there.”
Two-time Irish Boys champion Mark Power from Kilkenny is one shot behind, alongside Dun Laoghaire’s Alan Fahy.
Leading a group of players on -2 is Amateur Champion James Sugrue. The Corkman getting off to a slow start before playing the last six holes in three-under par.
“To be honest I didn’t play great for the front nine, even the first ten holes I wasn’t hitting the driver well at all, the thing that is usually my strongest point of the game, I was just winging it everywhere.
“I just kind of held on to it, my chipping was unreal, every time I had a chip it was inside a foot and without that I would have definitely been a few over. I’ve figured something out and started hitting it a little bit better. Coming in here there are a good few birdies chances .“I remember Justin Rose saying last week that he almost stole a few from the course, I almost feel the same today. I definitely scrambled around pretty well.”
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With round two cancelled due to the fog delay, the top 39 after today’s round progress to the final 36 holes on Sunday. Sponsored by Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt and Pinergy, the Mullingar Scratch Trophy is run in partnership with GUI Leinster Golf.
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