Paul McGinley swapped the tit for tat in the TV compound with Brandel Chamblee for the fairways at the OFX Irish Legends and he lamented some scrappy bogeys in his first competitive outing in a year at Carton House.
McGinley endured a rollercoaster round on the Montgomerie Course and eventually signed for a one-over 73 to sit nine shots off the early lead as he mixed an eagle and two birdies with three bogeys and a double bogey.
“This is my first tournament in year. It’s one thing playing and practicing with your friends but it’s another one having a card in a tournament. I dropped a lot of shots today. Messy shots. I got better as the round went on and got into the rhythm and groove of tournament golf again.
“I shot 73 I probably played better than that.”
Backed by a decent following, the 2014 Ryder Cup winning captain was unsure of how he would fare, but he made the perfect start with an opening birdie. He dropped shots on the 2nd, 5th and 7th but delighted the local support with an eagle on the par-5 8th when he hit a driver and six iron to 20-feet and rolled in the putt.
He then turned into the wind and played holes 9-13 in all pars which would have been a shot against the field but he lamented a mental error was he doubled the downwind par-4 14th which undid all his good work. A birdie on 15 halved the damage.
“I played the first hole very well and then I three-putted the second which was a real disappointment giving the shot back. I made two bogeys on 6 and 7 which put me behind the 8-ball then I eagled the 8th which got me back again. The difficult holes into the wind from 9 to 13 I played those holes really well.
“I got the chances coming downwind the last five holes and the first hole I play I make double to undo all of the good work. I did OK from there played the last four in one-under but there are chances coming in downwind. The double took the wind out of my sails.”
Overall, McGinley feels there is more to come from him but also acknowledges that the golf course is tailored to the bigger hitters with the former Ryder Cup star trying to navigate his ball around the penal fairway bunkers rather than carry them.
“I played OK I was a little sloppy, an eagle and two birdies. For me with the amount of bunkers on the golf course they are all in play so I am trying to navigate my way through them. It’s a golf course you have to be quite defensive on with the distance I hit it. The bigger hitters can carry the bunkers at 265 or so.”
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