John-Ross Galbraith shot an opening four-under 67 to lead the Irish assault in first round of the Clutch Pro tournament at The Players Club in Bristol, the Whitehead man currently lying T5.
Despite opening with a bogey-five as he took on the back nine first, a birdie blitz from 12 through 17 saw him make the turn at -3, and he’d trade two birdies with one bogey to pick up another stroke on the front side and reach the clubhouse at -4, just one back from the four-way tie for first.
Cameron Raymond is next best placed of the nine-strong Irish contingent in attendance. Raymond lies in a tie for 16th at -1, one stroke ahead of Conor O’Rourke who sits level-par and tied for 32nd.
Jason Murphy (+3), Rowan Lester and Daniel Brennan (+4), Owen Crooks and Daniel Mulligan (+5), and Eoin O’Brien (+7) complete the lineup at the Players Club’s flagship Codrington Course.
Wales’ James Frazer and three Englishmen in the shape of Tom Shadbolt, Jake Ayres and Jake Hapgood set the pace on day one with matching five-under 66s, with Galbraith part a four-way tie for fifth a shot adrift and a further three players tied for ninth at -3.
Besides Frazer, Galbraith is the only other non-Englishman a the sharp end of the leaderboard as we head to day two of the three-day affair which will see a 36-hole cut for the top-50 and ties.
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