FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD (GB & Ireland unless stated):
-9 F Molinari (Ita) -8 J Edfors (Swe) -7 R Rock, O Wilson, P Lawrie, N Dougherty, J Donaldson, R Kakko (Fin), S Kapur (Ind) -6 S Kjeldsen (Den), R Dinwiddie, JM Lara (Spa), L Slattery, M Warren, S Lowry, J Clement (Swi), T Levet (Fra)
 Molinari is ranked 72 in the world |
Italy's Francesco Molinari shot a course record nine-under 63 in the Irish Open at County Louth but leads by only a shot from Sweden's Johan Edfors. Brits Jamie Donaldson, Nick Dougherty, Paul Lawrie, Oliver Wilson and Robert Rock are tied third after rounds of 66. A rejuvenated John Daly, second in last week's Italian Open, carded 68 for a share of 18th along with Lee Westwood. Rory McIlroy was paired with Colin Montgomerie and shot a 69, one shot ahead of the Ryder Cup captain. Molinari grabbed an eagle on the 3rd and eight birdies during his record round, which matched the lowest round of the 26-year-old's European Tour career to date. Remarkably, only 40 minutes earlier Edfors had equalled the old record for Baltray after collecting no fewer than 10 birdies to end up with a 64.  | 606: DEBATE |
The British quintet of Donaldson, Dougherty, Lawrie, Rock and Wilson were also able to capitalise on what was a softened course after rain. The 43-year-old Daly, who has lost 60lb in the last three months and is currently serving a six-month ban from the PGA Tour, continued where he left off in Turin and but for a bogey on the 17th would have finished the round even higher up the leaderboard. McIlroy, who raised eyebrows in the lead-up to the event by suggesting that the Ryder Cup was not a major goal for him, faired reasonably well under the watchful eye of Montgomerie, Europe's captain at next year's event at Celtic Manor. His front nine featured four birdies but bogeys on the 11th and 12th halted his momentum before a timely fifth birdie on the 18th sealed his three-under round. Padraig Harrington, without a top 10 finish since January, managed only a one-over-par 73.
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