Seamus Power was impressed by the vociferous support he received from his home fans on the opening morning of the Horizon Irish Open, but not at all surprised to get such brilliant backing.
World Number 36 Power was playing alongside countryman and Major Champion Shane Lowry on Thursday and the pair were greeted by huge crowds at Mount Juliet Estate, despite their 08.00 tee time.
Knowing all about Irish golf fans, Power was not necessarily shocked by their dedication and remarkable support but appreciated it nonetheless.
After signing for an opening 68, he said: "It was fantastic. For 08.00 on the Thursday morning, it was great.
"I mean, I was kind of expecting it, but even still it was pretty cool to see them out there, the support.
"It was a great atmosphere, and it was nice to make a couple of putts for them."
The home fans enjoyed that one ☘️@padraig_h | #HorizonIrishOpen pic.twitter.com/THelSyjptW
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 30, 2022
Pádraig Harrington was given the same treatment in the afternoon, as the locals flocked to see the newly-crowned U.S. Senior Open champion in action.
The home hero began the tournament with a 70 and praised the crowd for helping him perform.
"It really was great," he said. "It's a big crowd well behind me.
"There was a bit of a buzz, and I played nicely all the way through, so it was OK.
"It's important to play nice when you have the home crowd. And, yeah, hopefully I can deliver a little bit more tomorrow, but I think the crowds are helping.
"I always get the support here at home, and maybe today was a little bit bigger than normal, but it's very much appreciated."
