Lawrie caddie boost for Fox

Noel Fox borrowed Peter Lawrie's caddie and immediately clicked with a sensational 66 in the Oceanico Group Irish Classic.

The Portmarnock ace, 33, hit seven birdies in a five under par effort to share the first round lead with England's Christopher Hanson in the PGA EuroPro Tour event at Roganstown.

And the Dubliner confessed that professional caddie Dermot Byrne made a massive difference to him on the greens at the Swords track.

Fox beamed: "I definitely got the best half of the draw, the greens were great and I managed to hole a few putts.

"I had 29 putts and that's the first time I've broken 30 putts in a long time.

"Before the start, I told Dermot I was struggling on the greens and I'd be asking him to line them up. In fairness to him, every line he gave me was spot on."

Fox took advantage of benign early conditions to race to the turn in five under par 30.

The former Walker Cup star knocked in an 18 footer at the par-three second and two putted the par-five fourth and fifth holes for birdies before picking up further birdies at the seventh and ninth.

Missed greens led to bogeys at the 12th and 15th but Fox finished with a birdie at the par five 18th to boost his confidence ahead of next week's Irish Open at Adare Manor.

The Dubliner has earned a sponsor's invitation to the Limerick venue where he will be joined by Leslie Walker, who is the next best of the Irish on three under.

The club professional at Dundalk had three birdies and three bogeys on his front nine but came home in three under for his 68 thanks to an eagle at the fifth and a birdie at the eighth.

Killarney's Danny Sugrue hit a 69 to share seventh place on two under with Greg Bowden, Gary Cullen, Justin Kehoe and Brendan McCarroll the only other Irishmen under par after rounds of 70.