Alex Maguire had a putt on the 18th hole to set a new course record at Killeen Castle, but had to settle for a share of it after shooting a four-under 68 on day one of the HotelPlanner Tour’s Irish Challenge.
The Laytown & Bettystown man tied the total shot earlier by second-generation Meath man and Killeen Castle member, John Gough, and joined what would become a five-man group on -4 after the morning wave.
Maguire took sole possession of the lead when his birdie putt on the ninth dropped in the side door, completing the front side in 32 blows after earlier birdies on two, five and seven.
A pair of bogeys back-to-back on 13 and 14 were followed by an eagle on 15, before he found himself facing an uphill 15-footer on the last that just dived low at the final second.
“It was straight into the grain,” he said. “And the last thing I wanted to do was blow it three feet by, so I probably could have hit it higher, but I just wanted it to die in the front edge and the grain got it and moved it left, but, it was a hard shot into the green from the rough, so I’m pretty happy with closing out the way I did.”
“The eagle on 15? It was probably the best feeling I’ve had in a golf course in a long while seeing that second shot come in there because it comes after the hardest stretch on the golf course, so I really was proud of myself for not getting too disappointed after those two bogies because I knew you’re going to make bogies out there.”
The tee shots on the par-4 13th and par-3 14th aside, Maguire appeared to be in complete control of his game throughout the round and admits that, despite the difficult nature of the golf course, it’s one that he feels really comfortable on.
“I played here Barton Shield seven or eight years ago,” he recalled, “and for whatever reason, most of the tee shots I just love the look of. I don’t look at the trouble. I can see the bunkers and I know I can carry the bunkers and I can sort of thread the needle.
“Feeling comfortable on the tee shots gives you an advantage, but the real challenge is into and around the greens, knowing what side of the green to miss it because on some holes you’d rather miss it 20 yards left than five yards right or vice versa.”
Now in his second year as a pro, Maguire has admitted that it took some time to adapt to the travel requirements and being on the road so much, but that’s not an issue this week.
“There’s no travel this week apart from a 40-minute drive,” he explained. “But I’ve definitely come to terms with it a lot more this year. I understand myself a lot better and what works for me and it’s just a lot more comfortable this week, so I’d love to take advantage of it. But it’s only day one, so I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
And getting a little ahead of himself is something else that he’s admitted to having struggled with, but credits a late call with his coach Donald Scott with resetting his focus ahead of the tournament week.
“I called Don last night and we just stripped it back down, basically saying that what happens on Sunday is out of my control, but what I can control is committing to my lines, having a physical intention and then just accepting where the ball goes. That sort of calmed me down, you know?
“I guess everyone’s goal here is to win, and play well, but when I got to four-under through nine, I felt the exact same as I did on the first tee.
“I know it’s cliche, but stripping it back down to your process and sticking to it… That really is my goal this week.”
Also helping with the process was Maguire’s caddie for the week and close friend, David Foy, though rather unusually, Foy only accompanied him for just over half of the round.
“He had a physio appointment,” Maguire laughed. “He’s got two herniated discs and his physio appointment was at 1:30 and it’s been booked in for the last three weeks, so we were hoping for a really early tee time so he could go the whole way round.
“But the way the time worked he had to head off after 12. It didn’t help that I went bogey-bogey after he left. I was like, ‘Jesus, maybe he’s the key’, but I got it back on 15 and he’ll be back tomorrow. So that’s all that matters.”
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