Conor Purcell sits just outside the top-10 after the opening round of the Open de Portugal at Royal Óbidos after a two-under 70 on Thursday.
Two birdies in his final three holes – to go along with three other birdies and three bogeys – saw him end the first day under-par and just three shots off leader Todd Clements.
The Englishman fired five birdies, all of which came in a six-hole stretch around the turn, in a bogey-free 67 to hold a one-shot advantage over Belgium’s Christopher Mivis and Sweden’s Anton Karlsson after one round.
Meanwhile, Gavin Moynihan kept himself in the mix to make the weekend as he ended the opening day with a one-under 71 as two birdies on his back nine helped him climb the leaderboard after three bogeys and two birdies on the front.
The pair were the only two to finish under-par, with Derry’s Ruaidhri McGee the closest to joining them following a roller coaster performance featuring an eagle, two birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey.
Holywood’s Tom McKibbin had an even more wild round as five birdies, three bogeys and a pair of double-bogeys led to a two-over 74, the same score Gary Hurley finished on after three bogeys and a birdie.
Kinsale’s John Murphy had three birdies and six bogeys in a three-over 75 to lie just outside the top-100, with the cut line currently sitting at level-par.
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