Dunne tied at the top as Moynihan suffers Spanish hiccup
Spain's Jon Rahm tees off the 15th hole during day one of Open de Espana at Centro Nacional de Golf, Madrid on 12 April 2018. Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Paul Dunne eagled the 18th for a super 66 and a share of the lead in the €1.5 million Spanish Open in rainy Madrid.
One-under at the turn, the Greystones star (25) birdied the 11th, 13th and 16th before converting a six-footer for an eagle three at the 18th
"I'm pretty pleased," said Dunne after joining Scotland's Marc Warren on six-under-par at the Centro Nacional de Golf.
"I find the greens quite tricky to read out there, especially on the front nine, so it was nice to get a couple of putts go in on the back nine.
“On the first nine holes I was playing pretty nicely but I wasn’t giving myself chances close enough.
“Then I hit a couple of shots a little bit closer on the back nine when I got wedges in my hand and it was nice to finish with an eagle.”
Dunne and Warren lead by one stroke from an 11-strong chasing pack that includes world No 4 Jon Rahm.
It's a group that might also have featured Mount Juliet's Gavin Moynihan but he made a quadruple bogey nine at his 14th hole and shot 72.
Five-under after 10 holes, the Dubliner (23) lost a ball, thinned bunker shot and had a penalty drop as he made a nine at the par-five fifth, then bogeyed the next to end the day outside the projected cut mark on level par.
“It had a bit of everything,” said Moynihan, who will join Dunne on Team Ireland in next month’s innovative GolfSixes at Centurion Golf Club in St Alban's from May 5-6.
“I played lovely all day and had what was probably the best up and down of my life for the nine too!”
ST ALBANS, ENGLAND - APRIL 12: Charley Hull of England, Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark and Georgia Hall of England pose for a photo after selecting for the draw during the GolfSixes Media Day at The Centurion Club on April 12, 2018 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Moynihan and Dunne for GolfSixes
Former Walker Cup team mates Gavin Moynihan and Paul Dunne will tee it up in the Golf Sixes at St Albans next month.
The final wildcard selection, Ireland were drawn in Group C against France, Italy and Scotland.
The 16 teams will compete over six holes in a group stage, with teams split into four groups of four, before the top two teams from each group progress to the knockout stages – the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, a third/fourth place play-off match and the final.
In the group stages, three points will be given for victory with one point awarded for a draw and the matches will be played in a greensomes match play format.
Once again the six holes will be themed, with the popular shot clock hole returning - with a penalty imposed if players take longer than 30 seconds per shot - alongside the long drive and closest to the pin holes. The innovative six-hole competition will have a festival feel with a centrally-located Fan Zone full of entertainment for all the family.
A warm #GolfSixes welcome to @GavinMoynihan and @dunners11 who will be representing 🇮🇪 as our last wildcard team 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RFki2ezgeF
— Golf Sixes (@GolfSixes) April 12, 2018
Group A
- Denmark – Lucas Bjerregaard and Thorbjørn Olesen
- Thailand – Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee
- USA – Daniel Im and David Lipsky
- European Women – Suzann Pettersen and Mel Reid
Group B
- Australia – Sam Brazel and Wade Ormsby
- South Korea – Jeunghun Wang and Soomin Lee
- Spain – Pablo Larrazábal and Adrian Otaegui
- European Captains – Thomas Bjørn and Catriona Matthew
Group C
- France – Alexander Levy and Romain Wattel
- Italy – Matteo Manassero and Renato Paratore
- Scotland – Scott Jamieson and Richie Ramsay
- Ireland – Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan
Group D
- England – Eddie Pepperell and Matt Wallace
- South Africa – George Coetzee and Haydn Porteous
- Sweden – Alexander Björk and Joakim Lagergren
- England Women – Georgia Hall and Charley Hull
G-Mac nine back in Hilton Head
Graeme McDowell had a frustrating day on the greens in the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head.
The 2013 champion made just one birdie at Harbour Town Golf Links before finishing with a bogey at the ninth for a two over 73 that left him nines strokes behind first-round leader Rory Sabbatini (42) on two-over par.
Without a win since the 2011 Honda Classic, South African Sabbatini made seven birdies in a seven-under 64 to lead by a shot from John Huh, Billy Horschel, Matt Kuchar and Chesson Hadley as world number one Dustin Johnson mixed six birdies with four bogeys in a rollercoaster 69.
On the Challenge Tour, Cormac Sharvin opened with a five-over 76 as Michael Hoey racked up two triple bogeys in an 81 in the Belt & Road Colorful Yunnan Open in China.
Spain's Borja Virtu, Canada's Sunil Jung, England's Matt Ford and Charlie Saxon of the US shot five-under-par 66's to lead by a stroke.
