'It's a bit like rush hour traffic in bad conditions' — Harrington and Power slip late as slow play mars opener at Doonbeg

Pádraig Harrington

Doonbeg first hit the headlines in Irish golfing circles for Vertigo angustior, the rare microscopic snail that delayed construction of the original links and still has Donald Trump's ballroom plans in a holding pattern.

But anyone who followed the early play in the first round of the Amgen Irish Open was subjected to a sluggish pace of play, driven by a stiff southwest wind, a few lost balls, a protracted ruling, and a course configuration where reachable par-fives and tricky par-threes led to groups backing up.

It took Harrington closer to six hours than five to get around in one-over-par 71 — six shots more than the in-form LIV star Joaquin Niemann, who birdied four in a row from the 14th and shot a 65 alongside Seamus Power, who bogeyed three of his last four holes to open with a damaging 73.

"When we hit our tee shot on the 10th, we were almost three hours 15 minutes into the round," lamented Power, who only arrived in Ireland on Monday from Las Vegas and, after not seeing the course until a windless Wednesday due to an Amgen day at Lahinch, struggled to execute in the tough conditions.

"I struggled, to be honest, right from the start," Power admitted after a round where he got to level par by holing a bunker shot at the seventh but made just one other birdie, at the 14th, in a back nine featuring dropped shots at the 11th, 15th, 17th and 18th. 

"I was disappointed, kind of throwing it away at the end," he said, having done well to keep his score going.

Even with soft conditions and tees pushed up, Power found the test a challenge on a morning when squally showers and 30mph gusts blew many players off track.

Cormac Sharvin shot 73 and Mark Power and Thomas Higgins signed for 74s.

"Even holes that should be reasonably straightforward, like number six, the wind is really whipping across," Power said of a par-four that was drivable in the afternoon. "It's almost impossible to hit the fairway, and you've got like a semi-blind second shot. 

"It's a lot of different shots, a lot of different angles. But I think a lot of it's obviously just the strength of the wind, at least today."

Harrington, who was playing just behind Power and Niemann, was his usual phlegmatic self, even after a disappointing finish.

Grinding hard, he made the turn in one-under but missed a good chance at the 11th, then three-putted the 14th and 15th before following a two at the 16th with a bunkered tee shot and a bogey at the last.

"As slow as the round was today, it's a bit like rush hour traffic in bad driving conditions," Harrington said of the pace of play and a wind that led to even more player complaints about oscillating golf balls in the afternoon.

"It's just that everything sort of slows down, and it really is a traffic management thing rather than anything else. 

"When players see that they're going nowhere in front of them, then they're going to take more time themselves, and the conditions were difficult… You had to mark your ball from18 inches for sure on the greens. It's difficult to get the ball close …"

He's due off at 1:45pm in round two and firmly believes he'll get finished, even if it's unlikely that the entire 137-strong field will complete their rounds.

Winning the title is still well within the Dubliner's compass, but he will need to keep the mistakes off his card.

"Played well for 13 holes — no bogeys, a birdie — and I was thinking of something in the 60s," he said.  "It's always disappointing when you bogey a few holes coming home… I felt the course was set up very playable. I thought there were plenty of opportunities."

Still, there were challenges, such as the uphill fifth, where the players turn back into the wind.

"I hit a five-iron from 149 yards on five... and I came up short," he said. "I came up 15 yards short, and I drew it. So I didn't exactly miss the shot."

Niemann made light work of the conditions, which surprised no one.

"I played quite a bit with him before he went to LIV," Power said. "He's always been very impressive, and he's always had that low ball flight. 

"It wasn't like he made a lot of crazy putts. He just hit it very well. He had a lot of chances. He was out of position maybe on the first and maybe on number nine. He's just a very, very, very good player."

Power might lack a little confidence right now, but Niemann can do no wrong.

"He drove it very well, and then he was able to control his irons in the wind," Power said. "That's key, really, to playing links golf as well.

"Hopefully tomorrow I can get off to a better start and get to eight at two or three under par, take your chances and then hold on.

"You're still going to have to hit the shots. If you miss your flight, you're going to be in trouble."