CORK AMATEUR JAMES Sugrue carded a superb three-under-par 67 to lead the home charge at the Irish Open, while 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry endured a miserable start at Galgorm Castle as he bogeyed eight holes en route to a five-over-par 75.

South Africa’s Dean Burmester and England’s Jordan Smith share the lead on five under (65) at the time of writing, two shots clear of Mallow man Sugrue who is tied for fourth with Rikard Karlberg and Scotland’s Stephen Gallagher.

Another Englishman, Toby Tree, is out on his own in third after a four-under-par opening round of 66.

Lowry was playing competitively on Irish soil for the first time since his Open victory in County Antrim last year but he bogeyed half of his first six holes and failed to get his round back on track.

“It was a comedy of errors out there,” the 2009 Irish Open champion told RTÉ Sport afterwards.

I executed my shots really badly and I shot really badly on the greens. I really wanted to do well but it is what it is. I can’t do anything about it now. I just have to go out tomorrow and fight to make the cut.

Sugrue, 24, who won the British Amateur Open last year, encountered no such hassle, while veteran Damien McGrane’s even-par start leaves him sitting tied for 20th for the moment.