Golf round-up: Conor Purcell cards three-under 69 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club

They led by a shot in the clubhouse from Davis Thompson and Andrew Novak, European duo Thomas Detry and Robert MacIntyre, and Cameron Champ and MJ Daffue at TPC Louisiana.

They still didn’t go as low as Frankie Capan III, who shot a 13-under 58 in the first round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Veritex Bank Championship at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, Texas.

He made seven straight birdies on the back nine to match his outward nine of 29, beat Scottie Scheffler’s four-year-old course record and lead by three from Trent Phillips.

On the DP World Tour, Germany’s Yannik Paul fired a five-under 65 to join a trio of local favourites in the clubhouse lead in the fog-affected ISPS Handa - Championship in Japan.

Nearly three hours were lost to fog early in the morning at Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course before Paul ended the day tied with Tomoyo Ikemura, Taisei Shimizu and Taiki Yoshida.

Holywood’s Tom McKibbin made three birdies and a bogey in a one-under 69 to share 36th place.

At the Challenge Tour’s UAE Challenge, Conor Purcell continued his strong form by carding a three-under 69 to share third place with Dermot McElroy at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

They were tied for 13th, four shots behind Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Wilco Nienaber and Joshua Berry, whose seven under 65s gave them a two-shot lead over four players.

John Murphy and Mark Power were inside the top 50 after 71s.

It was a more challenging day for the Irish in the LET’s Investec SA Women’s Open at Erinvale.

Lauren Walsh’s six-over 78 left her tied 104th, 12 strokes behind leaders Rosie Davies and Elena Moosman, with Olivia Mehaffey 112th after a 79.