Irish Open

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1-3; -4.60pts  (system plays: 9-8-4)

Round 1 play (4pts):

Richard Green to beat Darren Clarke +100 @ Paddy Power  WON by 1
Clarke gets favouritism as the home player, but Green has been playing the better golf: in their last 10 common events, Clarke has finished ahead of Green just three times and in terms of rd1 scores, he has shot the lower score just twice over the same period.

[unofficial rd1 system plays: Siem tb Havret +102 (W); Fernandez-Castano tb Wood +111 (W)]

Round 2 play (2pts):

Damien McGrane to beat Richard Green -130 @ 5Dimes  LOST by 2
Opposing Green who delivered in the first round, but he does have a good record of starting events well - he held the lead last week after the first round, but then shot 71-73-74 to finish 14th. This time, David Howell took the clubhouse lead from Green after he had held it for most of the day, but Green's general record is that he does not follow up these fast starts with good 2nd round performances. His tendency for fast starts is shown by the fact that he has now been in the top-5 after the 1st round on in a quarter of his 24 starts since July last year (including being 1st round leader twice), but he has remained in the top-10 after the 2nd round just once and averaged 71.4 over the 2nd round scores. McGrane comes into this event in great form with five top-20 finishes in his last six starts (and seven in his last ten, with just one missed cut) and can be counted on to remain in contention for much longer than Green this week.

[unofficial rd2 system play: Lawrie Pa tb Morrison -115 (W); Dredge tb Green +120 (L); Rose tb Clarke -110 (W); Rumford tb Noh -111 (T); Lawrie Pa tb McGinley +100 (L); Clarke tb Green -120 (T); Fisher R tb Clarke -130 (W); Rumford tb Fernandez-Castano -118 (T); Haastrup tb Kulacz -115 (L); Lee tb Dodt -105 (L)]

Round 3 play (2pts):

David Howell to beat Sam Hutsby +100 @ SkyBet and Paddy Power [available generally]  LOST by 2
It was always going to be a difficult round today for Howler - the last time that he held the 1st round lead was in 2006 - and after opening with a double-bogey, it was made even more difficult. However, I think he bounces back to a degree tomorrow. He has been working hard on swing changes after going back to his old coach, Clive Tucker, and they hve been bearing fruit: he has had two top-40 finishes in his last two starts and came close to winning the JP McManus Invitational event as well, so Thursday's 64 wasn't completely out of the blue. The pressure of being just outside the top-120 on the Race to Dubai standings - and so be in place to retain his Tour Card for 2011 - has been evident on Hutsby. In the Scottish Open three weeks ago, he was 17th after three rounds, but then shot 76 to finish 34th, and last week he was 17th after two rounds, but then shot 77-72 to finish 41st. He enters this weekend in 19th position and his recent history suggests he may struggle to convert this opportunity.

[unofficial rd3 system plays: Green tb Clarke +120 (W); Harrington tb Fisher R +100 (W)]

Round 4 play (4pts):

Marcel Siem to beat Sam Hutsby +100 @ Paddy Power [available generally]  LOST by 4
Opposing Hutsby again for the same reasons as yesterday as he managed to climb one place to 18th after today's round. Really, he should have been beaten by Howell, but he came home in 40. However, Siem is a much more consistent player: he has made his last eight cuts and that includes top-30 finishes in four of his last five starts. He should be able to capitalise on Hutsby's expected struggles tomorrow.

[unofficial rd4 system plays: Hansen tb Noh -108 (W); Hansen tb Edfors -111 (L); Fernandez-Castano tb Noh -111 (W); McGinley tb Hutsby -111 (T); McGinley tb Hoey +115 (L); Molinari tb Fisher R -110 (L); Lowry tb Clarke -104 (L)]