Hickey and Mitchell set the pace in Munster Boys at Ballybunion

Muskerry’s Fionn Hickey. Picture: Ronan Quinlan

Muskerry’s Fionn Hickey and Knock’s Lee Mitchell carded four-over 76s to lead the Munster Boys Championship at Ballybunion’s Cashen Links.

Hickey, who won the U17 section in the Leinster Boys Championship Waterford Golf Club in July, was four over after four holes but turned in just three over before dropping just one stroke on the back nine.

They head the field by one stroke from Greenore’s Niall O’Callaghan with Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins alone in fourth place after a 78 in an event sponsored by Gleeson Sports Scene Limerick,

Testing conditions prevailed at the Robert Trent Jones Snr design with Connemara’s Luke O’Neill, Edmondstown’s Liam Abom, Seapoint’s Dylan Keating and Co Sligo’s Daniel Ford the only other players to break 80.

The top 45 plus ties after Thursday’s second round round will tee it up for the title on day three.

Munster Boys Championship, Ballybunion GC (Cashen, Par 72)

Round one

Detailed scores

76 F Hickey (Muskerry), L Mitchell (Knock);

77 N O'Callaghan (Greenore);

78 T Higgins (Roscommon);

79 L O'Neill (Connemara), L Abom (Edmondstown), D Keating (Seapoint), D Ford (Co. Sligo);

81 C Flavin (Youghal), R Fives (Faithlegg), L Cunningham (Galway Bay), J Berry (Doncaster GC), J Butler (Naas), S Walker (Roscommon);

82 C O'Connor (Roscommon);

83 S Riordan (Muskerry GC), O Reilly (Newlands), R Feerick (Mallow), A King (Faithlegg), S Calvert (Ballyneety), E Sullivan (Carton House), C O'Sullivan (killiney golf club), T Flanagan (Co. Sligo);

84 M O'Brien (Elm Park), C Connell (Newlands), C Feeney (Enniscrone);

85 R Walsh Jnr (Kinsale), D Behan (Naas), P McGrath (Cregmore);

86 S Downes (Royal Dublin), A Dineen (Cork), D Connolly (Castle Dargan), L Grinberg (Rinkven GC ), E Prendergast (Claremorris), A Challoner (Galway Bay);

87 F Hoare (Roscommon), E Cassidy (Kinsale), M Deasy (Lee Valley), K McCarthy (Lee valley), S Doyle (Black Bush);

88 B St.John (Portmarnock), I Winn (Ballyneety), P Byrne (Ballybunion);

89 P Naughton (Limerick);

90 D O Sullivan (Mallow), J Murphy (Douglas), A Smith (Mullingar);

91 B Scully (Portarlington), J O'Callaghan (Ballybunion);

92 D Muldowney (Carton House);

93 C Plower (Loughrea), A O'Carroll (Powerscourt), N Griffin (Rosslare), D Marshall (Naas);

94 R Milne (Faithlegg), T Abom (Edmondstown), L Curran (Westmanstown);

95 E Magill (East Clare), S Whelan (Royal Tara);

96 S Lacey (Newlands), E Shipp (Headfort), G Keogh (Galway);

100 S Carpenter (Forrest Little), M Duignan (Royal Dublin), J Mitten (Westmanstown), E Freeman (Naas);

104 D McNicholl (Westmanstown);

106 M O'Donoghue (Mallow);

NR J Mackin (Dundalk);

NS P Lagrange (Walton Heath).