Defending champion Lucas Herbert will start the second round of the Irish Open five shots behind leader Ryan Fox.
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During the opening day at Mount Juliet Estate Herbert finished with a mixed scorecard but endured the challenges of the par-72 course to finish at three-under.
The 26-year-old had a tough opening stretch after dropping two shots on the first four holes before he bounced back with a birdie on the par-five fifth.
It was immediately followed by another bogey on the par-three sixth before he then carded back-to-back birdies on holes seven and eight to make the turn at even par.
On the back nine's opening par-five 10th, Herbert out drove both playing partners Padraig Harrington and Thomas Pieters to set up a challenging approach shot which required a shot to a tree-protected green.
After Harrington nailed his approach shot with a wood to the fringe of the green, Herbert responded by putting his shot just off the putting surface to leave himself a medium-distance chip.
Herbert showed his short-game skills with a tidy downhill chip that trickled in for eagle - moving him to two-under.
He would hand back another shot two holes later on the par-four 13th, before carding three birdies on holes 14,15 and 17.
The day concluded with a bogey on the par-four 18th to finish at three-under (69) - five shots behind Fox who set the pace early in the day with an eight-under scorecard.
Fox sank eight birdies, including seven in his last 11 holes to finish at 64 off-the-stick.
He takes a one-shot lead over Frederic Lacroix, Jorge Campillo, Fabrizio Zanotti and Marcel Schneider.
Fox, who lost a playoff for the 2018 Irish Open to Scotland's Russell Knox, won the Ras Al Khaimah Classic in February, finished runner-up in the Soudal Open and Dutch Open and was third in the BMW International on Sunday.
Herbert was the best of the Australians, while Maverick Antcliff went round in 71, one better than both Scott Hend and Min Woo Lee.
Herbert tees up in round two on Friday evening (AEST) alongside Harrington and Pieters.
-With AAP
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