Adam McKendry reports from Mount Juliet

AS THE CROWDS swarmed around Séamus Power and Shane Lowry on Thursday morning at Mount Juliet, they perhaps would have been better off hanging back and watching the action unfolding behind them.

With five birdies in six holes around the turn, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox was powering up the leaderboard and eventually into first place in the group directly behind the Irish duo. By the time the Kiwi tapped in for a closing par at the ninth it was for a bogey-free eight-under-par 64 and the lead by one.

• Power and Kearney leading Irish players at Mount Juliet, Lowry shoots first round 71 

That shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, Fox has been in incredible form since his win at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic, racking up five top-10 finishes in his eight subsequent starts, including two runner-ups and a third. A big-hitter by trade, the softer conditions at Mount Juliet this week should suit him perfectly provided his wedge play holds up.

All this even after the 35-year-old had to deal with flu-like symptoms earlier in the week, and he cut a relaxed figure post-round as he joked about his beloved All Blacks potentially whitewashing Ireland in their rugby union Test series over the next three Saturdays. He’s used to the pressure and he’s thriving under it.

But as impressive as Fox was, even more notable are the profiles of the four men sitting one shot behind him after a quartet of seven-under 65s on day one.

There’s Germany’s Marcel Schneider, the World No.190 who started the season with seven missed cuts in his first eight starts before racking up three straight finishes inside the top-seven. There’s Frederic Lacroix, a 26-year-old who only graduated to the DP World Tour after finishing in the top-25 on the second-tier Challenge Tour’s money list last season, with his best finish being fifth at this year’s Joburg Open. At 232nd in the world rankings, he doesn’t play any of the Majors and, ranked 109th in the Race to Dubai, he’s battling just to maintain his playing rights for next year, but opened with two eagles, four birdies and a bogey.

There’s Fabrizio Zanotti, who has two wins on Tour but none since 2017, and is ranked 308th. And then there’s Spain’s Jorge Campillo, also a two-time winner on Tour but the highest-ranked of the four at 350th having suffered a loss of form over the pandemic.
Now compare those CVs to two-time DP World Tour winner, frequent Major attendee and World No.54 Fox. What other sport would have such contrasting figures at the top of its leaderboard?

And yet this week of all weeks could be the one that works in the underdogs’ favour as the Irish Open does tend to produce its fair share of unlikely winners – think of Soren Kjeldsen in 2015 or Brett Rumford in 2004. Heck, Lowry didn’t even have a world ranking when he triumphed as an amateur at Baltray in 2009.

The crowd come to see Lowry, Power and Pádraig Harrington, who also drew the bulk of the punters in the afternoon alongside defending champion Lucas Herbert, but there’s something special about the unlikely names who make runs at winning big events such as these.

Seamus Power chips it onto the green on the 10th hole. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

Even behind them there are plenty of stories developing in close proximity to the top of the leaderboard, such as England’s Aaron Rai, who missed out on a spot in The Open Championship in a play-off at Final Qualifying on Tuesday, flew to Ireland on Wednesday and pocketed eight birdies and two bogeys in a crisp 66. With a spot at St Andrews on offer for the top three finishers at Mount Juliet not already qualified, he has plenty of incentive this week.

Or what about Pablo Larrazabal? The Spaniard was one of those who signed up for the breakaway LIV Golf tour for its first event in England a few weeks ago, but has now been cast aside by the Saudis and has returned to the DP World Tour for this week – he’s just a couple back after a 66 of his own, what would it mean if he won?

And what of the Irish?

Power was the best of them after a four-under 68, where he was joined by Niall Kearney who, at one point, was five-under after just eight holes. Harrington fired a 70 to sit at two-under-par, as did Kinsale’s John Murphy, with Lowry and Clandeboye man Jonathan Caldwell at one-under.

Both Lowry and Power spoke before the tournament how much it would mean for the tournament if there was a home hero challenging on Sunday afternoon. There’s enough star power who have started well that that could be a possibility, but ideally one of them needs to make a move on Friday.

But while there mightn’t be any of the Irish at the top of the leaderboard, it’s not for a lack of support. It wasn’t quite a sell-out on Thursday but the home crowds came out in force for their big names – a welcome sight after the muted scenes during the still pandemic- affected 2021 tournament.

Indeed, a day where the rain stayed away and we got low scoring at Mount Juliet was best summed up by one young fan behind the 18th green, who mopped up golf balls from the likes of Donaldson, Harrington and Rafa Cabrera Bello after their rounds were over, before proudly turning to his dad with a mega-watt smile while clasping his treasures.
Irish Open magic on and off the course.

Let’s hope for some more the rest of the week.