Sam Murphy recorded his first professional victory in his first professional start when he took the 36-hole lead and closed out to win the Elin Bay Open, and, 10 days later, he’s back at the top of the Alps leaderboard.
The Galway man fired a bogey-free, seven-under 65 to take the outright lead on day one of the New Giza Open in Cairo, and he enjoys a one-stroke lead over Italy’s Luca Nemeco.
Murphy began his round on the back nine, and wasted little time in getting into red figures with a birdie on the par-4 10th. He birdied three more on the way out to make the turn at -4, then picked up another three shots with back-to-back birdies on three and four before adding another on six to close out another extremely impressive round.
The rookie pro found all 18 greens in regulation, demonstrating tremendous control of his tee-to-green game despite the testing winds in the Egyptian capital.
“My game felt really solid again — I drove the ball well, gave myself plenty of good opportunities, and hit my irons beautifully. Hitting all 18 greens made it a bit more stress-free, even in tricky conditions,” Murphy said afterwards.
“I’m absolutely delighted with the round. It’s a great way to start the tournament, and now the goal is to build on it with another solid, steady round tomorrow. We’ll see where that puts me, but I’m really pleased with how everything went today and I’m hoping to keep this form going.”
Second-placed Nemeco, just 22, matched Murphy’s birdie tally but a bogey on the 11th proved the difference in round one, while England’s Barclay Brown was one of five players to shoot of 67 to share third at -5.
Robert Moran, who finished runner-up to his fellow countryman at the Elin Bay Open, is again next best of the Irish at -1, though he’ll be disappointed with the way he closed out his round having made the turn at -4 without any mistakes.
A double bogey on the par-4 second undid much of his early good work, and though he birdied the next to get back to -3, made two further bogeys on the way home and sits tied for 29th.
Cathal MacCanna, also playing his rookie season as a pro, had an up-and-down day in which he made five birdies, four bogeys and a double to finish on level-par, while three bogeys in a five-hole stretch to close out his front nine left Hugh Foley playing catch-up and he finished the round at two-over and tied for 66th.
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