Cameron Clark was pleased to see some green shoots after a difficult rookie season on the Legends Tour so far as he opened with a three-under 69 to sit five shots behind Emanuele Canonica on day one of the OFX Irish Legends at Carton House.
The Ballymena man recovered from an early bogey on the 2nd with birdies on the 3rd, 8th, 9th and 12th and although he shares 11th place he was pleased overall but tinged with disappointment after two pars on the par-5s 15 and 18 where he was hitting 7-irons for his second shot.
“I’m really pleased the year has been a bit of a struggle so far this year. I wanted to put a solid round together. I played some really good golf and left a lot out there actually so a bit disappointed in that respect but really pleased overall anything in the 60s is pleasing.”
Clark has been working hard on shifting his mental game to a more positive place and he saw some good signs of it on the Montgomerie Course.
“I know that I can do it. Mentally I haven’t been great this year a lot of negative thoughts and feeling anxious on the course I felt calm today. I tried to be more specific in my targets and that’s what I want.
“I played some really nice golf and had some really good chances on the back nine but pretty happy overall.”
At the top, Canonica carded a superb eight-under-par 64 to hold a one-shot lead.
2024 Staysure PGA Seniors Champion Robert Coles is one shot back following a bogey-free 65. England’s Craig Farrelly, France’s Lionel Alexandre, South Africa’s Keith Horne and New Zealand’s Mark Brown share third place on six-under-par, while Chile’s Felipe Aguilar and Sweden’s Johan Edfors are tied for seventh on five-under. 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie is tied for ninth after an impressive opening 68.
Played on the renowned Montgomerie Course at Carton House, one of Ireland’s premier championship venues, this year’s OFX Irish Legends is being contested on a course with a proud tournament pedigree. Designed by Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie, the layout has previously hosted the Irish Open and continues to rank among the country’s finest inland golf courses.
Players faced a stern test throughout the day as a significant change in wind direction transformed the challenge from the practice rounds, but it was Canonica who adapted best to set the early pace.
The Italian surged into contention with four consecutive birdies from the 12th before a bogey at the par-three 17th briefly dropped him back into a share of the lead. Undeterred, he responded immediately by birdieing the closing hole to claim outright first place heading into the weekend.
The 2022 Irish Legends runner-up carded 10 birdies and two bogeys in a scintillating display. A winner of the 2005 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Canonica ranked among the European circuit’s longest hitters throughout his career, leading the DP World Tour Driving Distance statistics on multiple occasions.
“I stayed calm all day,” said Canonica.
“If I missed a shot, I just put the next one back in the fairway and onto the green. When I needed to make a bogey, I just made a bogey and didn’t try to force anything.”
The Italian believes his ability to carry Carton House’s fairway bunkers gave him a significant advantage throughout the opening round.
“I made four birdies in a row, hit some really good shots and finished with a birdie on the last,” he added.
“When you hit it a long way, you always have a little advantage. This week I can carry almost all of the bunkers, which gives me a better chance than some of the other players.”
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