Rosslare’s Paul Murphy has it all to do after opening with a seven-over 79 in the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament USA 1 in Florida.

The Wexford man made two birdies, five bogeys and two double-bogeys at Mission Inn Resort and Club’s El Campeόn course in Howey-in-the-Hills to lie joint 105th.

Scores

The winner of the event will be exempt for the 2021-22 season with the players finishing from second to 12th (no ties) exempt through the reshuffle, which will occur approximately halfway through the season.

Players finishing 13th through 40th (plus ties) will earn conditional membership.

Murphy is seven strokes outside the top 40 and ties and 15 strokes behind leader Ryan Davis of the US, who shot an eight-under 64 for a one-shot lead over compatriot Fred Meyer.

“I putted lights out today, which really contributed to my score. I hit it great today also,” said New Jersey native Davis, who had two practice-round cracks at the El Campeόn Course prior to the tournament, as he came early and spent a couple of days with his paternal grandparents in The Villages, about 15 minutes from the course.

“I didn’t make anything crazy long,” he said of his birdie putts. “Everything was inside 20 feet. I had a lot of looks at birdie all day and rolled it pretty well.”

This is a 72-hole, no-cut event. There will be playoffs, if necessary, for the medalist position and for the 12th and final position available.