Hot Holland hits the front with sizzling 66 in Mullingar Electrical Scratch Trophy
Daniel Holland (Castle) driving at the 11th during the final round of the 2014 Mullingar Electrical Scratch Cup at Mullingar Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
Former winner Daniel Holland fired an eagle and six birdies in a super six under 66 to take a one stroke lead after Sunday morning's opening round of the Mullingar Electrical Scratch Trophy.
The Castle star, winner of the title in 2013, had bogeys at the par-four third and and the par-three 15th. But he made amends with birdies and after gains at the first, sixth and ninth saw him turn in two under 33, he came home in the same number of shots thanks to birdies at the 11th, 16th and 18th and an eagle three at the 14th.
Holland leads by one on six under from Galway's Joe Lyons, who also eagled the 14th and dropped his only shot of the day at the eighth in a 67.
Tullamore's Matthew Grehan, who birdied four of his last five holes, and former South of Ireland and Irish Amateur Open champion Robbie Cannon were just two adrift after 68s.
Grehan is clearly a man in form having claimed Tullamore's Club Championship last Sunday, the same day his brother Stuart won the South of Ireland at Lahinch.
Newlands' Jake Whelan, Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty and Aaron Grant and Portmarnock's James Fox share sixth after two under 70s as South of Ireland runner up, Colin Fairweather, celebrated his call up to the Irish team for the Home Internationals with a one under 71.
The Knock golfer shares 10th spot on one under with defending champion Geoff Lenehan from Portmarnock, Co Sligo's Sean Flanagan, Royal Dublin's Kelan McDonagh and 15-year old Dubai visitor, Ryhan Thomas who had an eagle two at the 322-yard sixth in his 71.
Mullingar Electrical Scratch Trophy 2015, Mullingar GC (Par 72)
66 Daniel Holland (Castle)
67 Joe Lyons (Galway)
68 Matthew Grehan (Tullamore), Robert Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown)
70 Jake Whelan (Newlands), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Aaron Grant (Dundalk), James Fox (Portmarnock)
71 Sean Flanagan (Co. Sligo), Kelan McDonagh (The Royal Dublin), Ryhan Thomas (United Arab Emirates), Colin Fairweather (Knock), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock)
72 Jamie Sutherland (Galgorm Castle), Daniel Murphy (Portarlington), Dave Lowry (Corballis Links Golf Club), Alan Lowry (Esker Hills), Conor O'Rourke (Naas)
73 Stephen Watts (Cairndhu), Jack Pierse (Portmarnock), Liam Grehan (Mullingar), L. Ashby (Naas), Stephen Barker (Mourne), John Hickey (Cork), Ryan Symington (Lisburn), Colin Woodroofe (Blainroe), Jack Walsh (Castle)
74 Declan O'Neill (Carton House), Jack Mc Donnell (Forrest Little.), Graham Nugent (Kilkenny), Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little.), Michael Buggy (Castlecomer Golf Club), Cian Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), Shane Hogan (Nenagh), P. O'Sullivan (Bray), John Swarbrigg (Mullingar)
75 Caolan Kennedy (Forrest Little.), Ronan Mullarney (Galway), Colm Crowley (Woodbrook), R. McKinley (Mullingar), Lee McMillan (Craddockstown), Colin Cunningham (Carton House), Kevin Stack (Dungarvan), Des Morgan (New Forest), Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Jonathan Yates (Naas), Mark Shanahan (Castlemartyr), Gareth Mann (Tullamore), Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth), Barry Anderson (The Royal Dublin), Keith Egan (Carton House)
76 Adam Doran (Ardee), Richard Bridges (Stackstown), C. Dunphy (Killeen Castle), Paul Burke (Mullingar), Robbie Pierse (Grange), Declan Reidy (Co. Sligo), K. Metcalfe (Mullingar), Shane McGlynn (Carton House), Billy McGarry (Birr)
77 John Greene (Portmarnock), Richard Knightly (The Royal Dublin), Conor Stone (Carton House), Thomas O'Connor (Athlone), Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle), Chris Blackmore (Dundalk)
78 Ronan Maher (Mullingar), Keith Bermingham (Castletroy), J. Dromey (Mullingar), Colm Hughes (Galway), Declan King (Tramore)
79 Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolseley), Ben Best (Rathmore), Cathal Nolan (Galway), Gavin Flanagan (Mullingar)
80 Gareth Carr (Mullingar), M. Duffy (Naas)
81 Eanna Griffin (Waterford)
82 Gary Shaw (Mullingar), Brian Doran (Palmerstown Stud)
83 T Flanagan (Co. Sligo)
84 Shaun O'Connor (Carton House), N. Pratt (USA)
86 Conor Slevin (New Forest)
87 Ruairi O'Connor (Co. Sligo)
88 David Maher (Courtown)
NR Gerard Lawlor (Craddockstown)
