European Tour — Damien McGrane and Niall Tuner shot one under 70s to lead the Irish challenge in the M2M Russian Open in Moscow.

McGrane, battling to avoid his first trip to Q-School since 2003, drove the ball well bit had little luck on the greens to finish the day tied for 48th with Irish PGA champion Kearney, who is making just his second main tour appearance of the season.

Scotland's Scott Jamieson and Australia’s Daniel Gaunt moved into a share of the first round lead as they signed for a pair of six under par 65s at Skolkovo Golf Club - one shot clear of the chasing pack.

Level par 71s for Michael Hoey, Kevin Phelan and Peter Lawrie left them just inside the cut mark with Europro Tour regular Brian Casey from Headfort posting a 72 on his European Tour debut.

Casey was two under after nine but dropped three shots coming home to end the day tied for 71st.

65 D Gaunt (Aus) , S Jamieson  (Sco) , 
66 B Dredge (Wal) , L Slattery (Eng) , 
67 B Evans  (Eng) , P Pittayarat (Tha) , T Chuayprakong (Tha) , S Hutsby  (Eng) , T Murray (Eng) , C Lee (Sco) , D Horsey (Eng) , K Horne (RSA) , 
68 K Samooja (Fin) , M Lampert (Ger) , M Southgate  (Eng) , S Griffiths (Eng) , P Martin Benavides (Esp) , M Kieffer (Ger) , J Randhawa (Ind) , E Goya (Arg) , C Bouniol (Fra) , P Meesawat  (Tha) , E Espana (Fra) , A Summers (Aus) , J Roos (RSA) , D Drysdale (Sco) , R Gangjee (Ind) , M Nixon (Eng) ....

70 N Kearney (Irl), D McGrane (Irl)
71 M Hoey (Nir), P Lawrie (Irl), K Phelan (Irl) 
72 B Casey (Irl) 

Challenge Tour — Muskerry's Niall Turner leads the Irish challenge, four shots behind Scotland’s David Law in the Cordon Golf Open in France.

Law leads by two shots at the Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André after a late start to round one meant he closed with one hole still to play.

Play was delayed for three hours after six greens were vandalised overnight, a knock-on effect being that the afternoon starters were unable to complete their first rounds.

Law managed 17 holes before darkness fell, making six birdies to top the leaderboard on six under par with Turner tied 10th after making five birdies in a two under 68.

Chris Selfridge (69) is tied 22nd with Gareth Shaw (70) tied 30th and Michael McGeady one over after nine holes.

Challenge Tour —  Walton Media Group have been announced as the ‘Official Media Partners’ to the Irish Challenge hosted by Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa and Golf Resort, which takes place at the prestigious Carlow venue from October 8-11.

Walton Media Group’s leading Irish publications Golf Digest Ireland, Golfing Magazine and online weekly digital magazine Golfing Weekly will provide widespread coverage for the third-last event of the Challenge Tour season.

With a host of young up and coming Irish stars set to join a field which will include many of Europe and the world’s most talented young players, Walton Media Group will cover all bases in its hugely popular publications.

Walton Media Group, headed up by Managing Director Linton Walsh, has for the past six years produced the tournament programme for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation on The European Tour.

The Challenge Tour returns to the Republic of Ireland for the first time since 2009’s Challenge of Ireland, and the Irish Challenge will mark the first major professional tournament under the auspices of the European Tour to be hosted on the Christy O’Connor Jnr designed course at Mount Wolseley.

The Irish Challenge is supported by Tetrarch Capital and Tournament Partners, the Irish Sports Council and the Confederation of Golf in Ireland (CGI).

Alain De Soultrait, Director of the European Challenge Tour, said: “We cannot wait to return to the Republic of Ireland for the Irish Challenge hosted by Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa and Golf Resort and, with the help of Walton Media Group, we are sure it will capture the imagination of the famously knowledgeable golf fans there.

We look forward to working with Linton and his team and utilising their experience, local knowledge and enthusiasm to best promote what is sure to be a great event at Mount Wolseley.”

Linton Walsh, Managing Director, Walton Media Group is delighted to support the return of the European Challenge Tour and the Irish Challenge to Ireland and said:

“Walton Media Group is proud to be appointed the “Official Media Partner” of the Challenge Tour’s Irish Challenge. This is an exciting time for Irish golf with a host of Irish players delivering inspirational performances such as Paul Dunne, Jack Hume, Gary Hurley, Gavin Moynihan and Cormac Sharvin.

"The European Challenge Tour provides an important platform and significant opportunity for our young developing golfers on their journey to achieving their goals and aspirations to play on the European Challenge Tour and European Tour.

Walton Media Group fully support the development of Irish golf at all levels and we are delighted to demonstrate this through the support and commitment of our leading publications “Golf Digest Ireland”, “Golfing Magazine” and online weekly digital publication “Golfing Weekly” to the successful promotion of the tournament. We wish the European Challenge Tour and the wider European Tour Group every success with the forthcoming event.”

For further information please contact:

• Stacey Williams, MIAPR, MPRII
• Group Marketing & PR Director
• Walton Media Group
• T: + 353 (0)1 4199604 - Dublin Office
• T: + 353 (0)64 6639910 - Killarney Office
• M:+ 353 (0)87 8112640
• E: stacey@waltonmedia.com