SHAW Hill star Nick Dougherty, whose maiden European Tour victory in the Caltex Masters in January earned him the MEN-GMR Sports Personality of the Month award, shared the lead in the first round of the Nissan Irish Open at Carlton House with Swede Klas Eriksson.

The pair fired four-under-par 68s over the tough Dublin course and Dougherty admitted: "I have had high expectations after winning in Singapore, but I've been beating myself up badly because I've set the bar at perfection.

"The game isn't like that, and it's taken me a few months of miserable golf to realise this."

Dougherty, 23 next week, started with a pair of ugly bogeys, but responded with an eagle and five birdies, two on the final two holes.