Day one digest: 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

Here is everything you need to know from the first round at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.

Early clubhouse leader South African Dean Burmester was joined at the top of the leaderboard by English duo Jordan Smith and Aaron Rai on a testing first day in Ballymena.

The trio finished on five under, one ahead of another Englishman Toby Tree with Irish amateur James Sugrue leading home hopes at three under.

Here is everything you need to know from the first round at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.

Practice makes pitch perfect for Padraig

In the build up to this event, the European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington spoke about how the lockdown caused by the global health crisis was a positive as he worked on his game in what is his first appearance since March. The 49-year-old certainly hasn't lost his touch.

Sugrue soars into contention

The 24-year-old was leading the home hopes as the amateur produced a fine three under 67 in his first round. This harboured talk of replicating Shane Lowry's famous win at Baltray in 2009 as an amateur and although Sugrue played down expectations, it was a brilliant start for the Irishman.

Thick rough? No problem.

Justin Harding was 210 yards from the green and in the thick rough. Not many people gave him chance of reaching the putting surface, never mind nearly holing it.

Catlin's close shave

American John Catlin was one under par when he lined up at the 171 yard 12th and he was inches from making a superb ace.

Ireland's Strongest Man?

Harrington enjoyed an entertaining first round in Ballymena and this incident brought puns aplenty.

On the incident, Harrington said: "That was pretty standard on the tenth, you can move anything that’s not attached. Actually I was moving the tree for the wrong golf ball. The marshall had pointed a golf ball to me and I was very delicate with everything around it but my golf ball was another two feet further away from that. I didn’t see it until half way through all of that. But it was something that wasn’t attached and you could move it. It was actually dead light but it looked good!"

Bogey free Smith and Rai

Smith and Rai were the only players to card flawless rounds in the first round at Galgorm Spa & Resort as they joined Burmester at the top of the leaderboard at the testing Northern Irish course. That's some going.