Moriarty clicks after attitude change

Glasson’s Colm Moriarty is in contention in the Credit Suisse Challenge after an opening 67. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieColm Moriarty confessed that he must continue to play with a positive mental attitude after a superb four under par round of 67 moved him right into contention at the Credit Suisse Challenge at Golf Sempachersee, near Lucerne.

The touring professional for the Glasson Hotel and Golf Club carded a bogey-free round in Switzerland with birdies at the first, third, sixth and 14th holes leaving him tied for fifth and five shots behind the runaway leader Joachim B Hansen of Denmark, who hit a brilliant 62.

Following missed cuts in his previous two Challenge Tour appearances, it was an important mental boost for the 33-year old after he did some soul-searching during last week’s break in the schedule.

“I’ve been getting very agitated lately and I’ve been venting a lot of anger but you have to bring a better attitude to it. I did a good bit of work with my short game coach and then went to my old coach Brendan McDaid for a chat and had a chat with my family and my girlfriend, just to get my attitude better.

“I’ve been getting down about things and I just need to go out and play. I hit a lot of shots close today and played lovely so if I play like that for the rest of the week I’ll be confident. But I’m more worried about bringing the same attitude to the course.

“That’s the big thing, because I haven’t had the start to the season I would have liked even though I haven’t been playing too badly. I’ve just been letting small things get to me so I just need to get the mental side better.

“I played really nicely.  I made a couple of half-decent saves but I was never in any trouble. If you’re off line on this course you’ve no chance, the rough is jungle, so I was happy with the way I played.”

Birr’s Stephen Grant recovered from a double bogey on the front nine, with three birdies on the back nine earning him a one under par round of 70 as he looks to make just his second cut of the season.

Meanwhile, 21-year old Hansen unsurprisingly described his stunning nine under par 62 as the best round of his Challenge Tour career.

The 21 year old carded 10 birdies, including six in a flawless front nine, as he took a four shot lead into the second day, ahead of his compatriot Lasse Jensen, England’s Matt Ford and 2008 Ryder Cup star Oliver Wilson.

62 J Hansen  (Den) ,

66 M Ford (Eng) , L Jensen (Den) , O Wilson (Eng) ,

67 Colm Moriarty (Irl) , A Levy (Fra) , S Wakefield (Eng) , S Tiley (Eng) , A Snobeck  (Fra) , H Joannes  (Bel) ,

68 P Archer (Eng) , C Hanson (Eng) , J McLeary  (Sco) , D Ulrich (Sui) , D Vancsik (Arg) , R Steiner (Aut) , J Wahlqvist (Swe) , A Domingo (Esp) ,

69 J Busby (Eng) , S Pinckney (USA) , D Brooks (Eng) , J Mommo  (Fin) , J Heath  (Eng) , C Macaulay  (Sco) , D Lokke (Den) , J Gibb (Eng) , A McArthur  (Sco) , J Mikkelsen (Nor) , D Gaunt (Aus) , F Fritsch  (Ger) , G Houston (Wal) , G Stal  (Fra) , J Clément  (Sui) , A Perrino  (Ita) , A Hartø  (Den) , M Rominger  (Sui) , E De La Riva  (Esp) , Å Nilsson (Swe) , N Meitinger  (Ger) , J Abbott (Eng) , B Rusch (am) (Sui) ,

70 E Bertheussen (Nor) , J Walters (RSA) , C Aguilar  (Esp) , S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) , A Maestroni  (Ita) , Stephen Grant  (Irl) , A Tadini (Ita) , V Riu  (Fra) , N Sulzer  (Sui) , N Lemke (Swe) , M Carlsson  (Swe) , B Parker  (Eng) , C Blaesi  (Sui) , B Evans  (Eng) , A Kaleka  (Fra) , B Chapellan (Fra) , C Doak (Sco) , N Ravano (Ita) , P Gustafsson (Swe) ,

71 S Davis (Eng) , L Goddard  (Eng) , M Madsen  (Den) , B Åkesson (Swe) , P Relecom  (Bel) , M Delpodio  (Ita) , A Knappe (Ger) , F Praegant (Aut) , M Glauert (Ger) , B Ritthammer (Ger) , M Bothma (RSA) , J Parry (Eng) , N Dougherty  (Eng) , N Bertasio (Ita) , D Geminiani (Ita) , S Buhl (Ger) , P Edberg (Swe) , B Koepka  (USA) , K Benz (Sui) , T Remkes (Ned) ,

72 A Velasco (Esp) , J Garcia Pinto (Esp) , M Nixon (Eng) , A Bernadet  (Fra) , J Bragulat  (Esp) , A Tampion  (Aus) , P Fendt (Aut) , A Gee  (Eng) , E Kofstad (Nor) , P Karantzias (Gre) , P Baker (Eng) , M Kieffer (Ger) , R Quiros  (Esp) , J Girrbach (am) (Sui) ,

73 F Delamontagne  (Fra) , S Jeppesen  (Swe) , M Haines  (Eng) , F Svanberg  (Sui) , A Ahokas (Fin) , R De Sousa (Sui) , H Bacher (Aut) , J Schmid (Sui) , B Etchart  (Esp) , F McGuirk  (Eng) , A Hortal  (Esp) , I Elvira  (Esp) , J Lima  (Por) , G Watremez (Bel) , S Benson (Eng) , M Brown (Nzl) , B Barham (Eng) , E Amacher (am) (Sui) ,

74 R Harrison (Eng) , R Kakko  (Fin) , R McGowan  (Eng) , G Lockerbie  (Eng) , M Higley (Eng) , W Besseling  (Ned) , J Kaske (Fin) , M Cryer (Eng) , F De Vries  (Ned) , R Dinwiddie  (Eng) , R Russell (Sco) , S Henry  (Sco) , J Barnes (Eng) , C Russo (Fra) , M Iten (am) (Sui) ,

75 J Burnier (Sui) , E Pepperell (Eng) , A Parr (Can) , B Pastore (Ita) , C Gane (Eng) , J Rask (Swe) , J Huldahl (Den) , S Franky (Col) , M Crespi  (Ita) , R Echenique (Arg) , J Maurer  (Aut) , I Giner (Esp) , C Brazillier  (Fra) , M Dobias (am) (Sui) ,

76 P Erofejeff (Fin) , J Johnson (Eng) , U Weinhandl (Aut) , F Calmels  (Fra) , P Dwyer (Eng) , N D’Incau  (Sui) , D McKenzie (Aus) ,

77 P Gal  (Cze) , T Hatton (Eng) , R Wiederkehr (Sui) , G Dear (Sco) , J Doherty  (Sco) ,

78 J Dantorp (Swe) ,

79 M Eggenberger (am) (Sui) ,

91 J Svoboda (Cze)