'It bit me back in the middle of the round' – Shane Lowry frustrated in ...

Playing his fourth event in a row and his last before the Masters, the Offaly star got off to a lightning start and was three-under after four holes.

But with buffeting winds making the grainy Laguna National greens a severe challenge, he bogeyed the fifth and 13th before rolling in a left to right breaking 10-footer at the par-five 18th to break 70.

“I played OK, actually, but it got a little bit iffy towards the end,” admitted Lowry, who was tied for 31st, five shots behind Malaysia’s Gavin Green, England’s Jordan Smith and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

“I got off to a great start and thought it was going to be easy, and it bit me back in the middle of the round. But I fought well and finished well and played OK, too.”

Today's Sport News in 90 Seconds - 21st March

Lowry only managed one practice round after his long-haul trip from Jacksonville to Singapore and insisted on his arrival that he was putting himself under pressure to perform after finishing tied fourth, third and tied 19th in his last three PGA Tour starts.

But while he felt he knew the course well enough, he admitted he got frustrated by the greens and will have to control his emotions better.

“I actually learned a couple of places not to hit it, but I struggled on the greens today,” he said. “I struggled with the grain and it was quite windy, so it was hard to putt.

“Hopefully, I can get out tomorrow and the greens will be a little less windy and I can manage to hole a few putts. Hopefully, I get used to them as the week goes on.”

After starting with two birdies, Lowry failed to birdie the par-five third but almost aced the short fourth.

“It was just a perfect gap wedge from 141 or so and it would’ve been nice to do it,” he said. “I went three under after four and golf was easy.

“But I’m going to be a few back now and I need to be a bit more in control of my emotions.”

While he bogeyed the par-five 13th and only parred the par-five 14th, he was pleased to batten down the hatches coming home before rolling in a left-to-right breaking putt at the last for a closing birdie four.

“You know 69 feels way better than 70, though it’s not that much better.

“But it’s nice to shoot because you’re going out this morning, and you’re standing on the first tee eight behind the leader, and you know there’s a lot of good scores out there.

“When you’re not doing it, you just get a little bit frustrated, but I stuck with it and three under is OK.”

Holywood’s Tom McKibbin was suffering from tonsillitis and while he got to three-under after eight holes, he lost momentum coming home and signed for a one-under 71 that left him just inside the cut line in a tie for 64th.

Green, Aphibarnrat and Smith shot eight-under 64s to lead by a shot from France’s Ugo Coussaud.

Aphibarnrat mixed a single bogey with nine birdies to set the target – and the course record – before being joined by Green and Smith on eight under.

As for Matteo Manassero, returning to action after winning for the first time in almost 11 years a fortnight ago, the Italian shot a 74 alongside Lowry and Rikuya Hoshino.

The Japanese star, who can overtake Rory McIlroy at the top of the Race to Dubai this week, opened with a 68 to share 21st place.