McGrane sets early target

A seven under par 65 sent Kells' Damien McGrane into a commanding clubhouse lead midway through the first round of the Trophée Hassan II. The Irishman started with an eagle and finished with four birdies in five holes to open up a two shot lead over Alejandro Cañizares, Hennie Otto and Robert-Jan Derksen. In total McGrane had eight birdies, three bogeys and a three on the par five tenth, a wedge approach to three feet on the fifth amongst the highlights. "I played beautifully today and I'm delighted with it," said McGrane, whose only European Tour title came by nine shots in China in 2008. "I got off to a fast start and I managed to keep it going and finish it off nicely. "It is testing out there at the moment, the greens are beautiful out here. If you play well you get plenty of opportunities and it's in pristine condition obviously."