Mixed fortunes for Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharma in Ireland

KILKENNY: The Indian duo of Gaganjeet Bhullar and Shubhankar Sharma faced contrasting fortunes on the opening day of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, finishing T-73 and T-123 respectively.

Bhullar shot 1-under 71 and was T-73 while Sharma suffered a double bogey on ninth and a quadruple bogey on 18th and carded 2-over 74 to be T-123rd.

While Bhullar can get into the weekend with a decent second round, Sharma will need to play a solid round to do the same.

Bhullar had two birdies against one bogey, while Sharma had plenty of birdies, five of them in all, but he also gave away one bogey, one double and one quadruple.

Australian Lucas Herbert carded a sizzling 64 to move into the lead at Mount Juliet Estate.

Herbert carded an eight under par opening round at the sun-kissed Kilkenny venue to move to the summit, ahead of American Johannes Veerman who signed for a bogey-free seven under 65 late in the day while Scot Grant Forrest is a shot further back on six under.

Martin Kaymer and Nicolas Colsaerts, joined fellow former Ryder Cup players Tommy Fleetwood, Thorbjørn Olesen and Andy Sullivan, in a share of fourth place alongside nine others on five under par.