Ahead of the Irish Challenge which takes place at Killeen Castle from August 13-16, seven Irishmen teed off Thursday’s first round of the HotelPlanner TOUR’S Infortar Estonian Challenge in Tallinn, with Conor Purcell and Ronan Mullarney utilising the prime scoring conditions to make an early move up the leaderboard.
Malahide’s Purcell took the first four holes before he found his scoring form as he made birdie at the fifth and eighth. Three more came on the back nine at the 11th, 14th, and 18th as he posted a bogey free 67 to sit five-under-par after 18-holes, three shots back from the lead in T8 position.
The 29-year-old has won twice on the HotelPlanner Tour with both wins coming in 2024 and a win this weekend will do wonders for his Road to Mallorca rankings, where he currently sits 128th.
Galway’s Mullarney sits just one stroke back from Purcell at four-under thanks to a brilliant run of holes as he headed back to the clubhouse.
The 30-year-old got off to a hot start with two quick birdies at the first and third but that was quick cancelled out by bogeys at the fourth and seventh. Mullarney then went on a run from the 15th hole – making four straight birdies to post a 68 to sit T18 heading into the second round.
James Sugrue and Liam Nolan sit tied together on the leaderboard in T53 as the pair posted two-under-par 70’s on Thursday. Sugrue has been looking for some consistent form in his debut season and the Mallow-man will be hoping for a competitive run in Estonia.
Nolan was in prime position to be at the top side of the leaderboard as the Galway native was five-under through 11-holes but a flurry of bad holes put a stop to that as Nolan bogeyed the 13th, 14th, and 16th on his way back to the clubhouse.
Waterford’s Gary Hurley posted a one-under-par 71 to sit just one back from Sugrue and Nolan, alongside Mark Power who posted the same score.
Max Kennedy had a back nine stumble as he made four quick fire bogeys to post a four-over-par 76. Kennedy will need to show his best stuff on Friday if he is to make the weekend.
Germany’s Marc Hammer leads after 18-holes with a score of eight-under. The 27-year-old made nine birdies around Estonian Golf & Country Club look easy as he seeks to add to his lone HotelPlanner TOUR win this weekend.
“It was nice,” he said. “It was pretty calm with the wind this morning, and the greens were running nice. The course is in awesome shape,” said Hammer
The German made five birdies on the front with a bogey mixed in, before finishing with four more birdies in his final six holes to equal his front nine score.
“My wedges were great. I hit a couple of wedges pretty close and then putting wasn’t too bad I would say. I holed a couple of short ones and also some from mid-range.”
Hammer earned his way into this week by finishing in the top ten last week at the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge.
“In the first round, if you put a good score on the board it’s nice but I’ve just got to keep fighting and keep playing the same,” he added.
Denmark’s Sebastian Friedrichsen, France’s Pierre Pineau, and England’s John Gough share second place just one-stroke back from Hammer at seven-under.
German Jannik de Bruyn, Jack Yule from England and France’s Benjamin Hebert share fifth position on six under par.
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