Lowry opens Olympics with level par round

A level par opening round has left Shane Lowry with a lot of work to do in the Olympics men's golf competition which began today.

Lowry started and finished his round with bogeys, with another on 15. These were cancelled out by birdies on 3, 5 and 14.

His opening 71 leaves him in tied 42nd, eight shots behind the first round pacesetter Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.

Ominously, the recently crowned Open champion Xander Schauffele is in second on his own at six under.

The other Irish competitor, Rory McIlroy, is three under, after a 68.

Lowry tees off on his second round at 8.44am tomorrow.