Connemara’s Luke O’Neill and Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy shot four-under 68s to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship at New Forest.

Ranked third and fourth in the Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit, they head 144-strong field from Lisburn’s Aaron Marshall, Knock’s, Lee Mitchell and Elm Park’s Robert Galligan.

Black Bush’s Sean Doyle, Muskerry’s Jack Egan, England’s Melan Dhaubhadel , Roscommon’s Simon Walker, Roganstown’s Joshua McCabe, Lisburn’s Josh Black and Newlands’ Adam Carroll also dipped under 70 with three-under 69s.

Seapoint’s Dylan Keating, who won the Regional Qualifier for The Open with a 66 at County Louth on Monday, came back from four-over after four holes following a bogey-bogey-birdie-triple bogey start to card a 73.

He eagled the fifth and made two further birdies and just one bogey to share 21st place.

Kennedy made seven birdies in his 68 as O’Neill, who won the German Boys Open earlier this summer, dropped just one shot as he picked off five birdies

Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship, New Forest GC (Par 72)

Detailed scores

Round one

68 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin), L O'Neill (Connemara);

69 A Marshall (Lisburn), L Mitchell (Knock), R Galligan (Elm Park);

71 S Doyle (Black Bush), J Egan (Muskerry), M Dhaubhadel (Eng), S Walker (Roscommon), J McCabe (Roganstown), J Black (Lisburn), A Carroll (Newlands);

72 B Crawford (Greenacres), A Mijic (France), E McArthur (Royal Portrush), F Hickey (Muskerry), J Byrne (Baltinglass), K Morrison (Holywood), E Sullivan (Carton House), A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown);

73 T Kelly (Royal Dublin), D Keating (Seapoint), S Downes (Royal Dublin), R Milne (Faithlegg), A Smith (Mullingar), D Marshall (Naas), D Leufer (Athenry), R McCrory (Lurgan);

74 R Kelliher (Killarney), D Ford (Co Sligo), P Keeling (Roganstown), A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown), C Connell (Newlands), R Carvill (Warrenpoint), P McGrath (Cregmore), E Prendergast (Claremorris), J Shellard (Lisburn), J Hill (Galgorm Castle), E Freeman (Naas), C Ruddy (Enniscrone);

75 A Dineen (Cork), R Feerick (Mallow), C Harkin (Letterkenny), A Blair (Scrabo), G McKenzie (Eng), L Cunningham (Galway Bay), E Shipp (Headfort), R Walsh (Kinsale), C MacCanna (Carton House), K McCarthy (Lee Valley), C French (Carton House), C Owen (Wal), G Leigh (Eng), H Lord (Eng);

76 M Deasy (Lee Valley), C Collins (Bermuda), P Byrne (Ballybunion), C Rabbette (Esker Hills);

77 M Kernanet (France), D Byrne (Powerscourt), M Duignan (Royal Dublin), M Hopkins (Eng), B St John (Portmarnock), M Fitzgibbon (Portmarnock), D Raher (Dungarvan);

78 R Goodall (Royal Portrush), F Hoare (Roscommon), P O'Shea (Kilkenny), S Murphy (Portumna), S West (Eng), N O'Callaghan (Greenore), P Naughton (Limerick), M McCormack (Mullingar), C Elliott (Eng), R Howley (USA), J Mackin (Dundalk), K Collins (Douglas);

79 J Rooney (Co Armagh), E O'Shaughnessy (Muskerry), J Butler (Naas), G Keogh (Galway), M Hayes (Galgorm Castle), G Herlihy (Castle), C Roper (Eng), R Bather (Wal), J McMaster (Holywood), D Mulligan (The Links Portmarnock), R Cowhey (Elm Park), D McNicholl (Westmanstown);

80 T Stout (Royal Belfast), T Crinion (Howth), A Fraher (Black Bush), R McNelis (Fintona), L Kelly (Belvoir Park), N McDermott (Co Sligo), T Higgins (Roscommon), P Ó Dochartaigh (Gweedore), L Abom (Edmondstown), A Westerdijk (Eng), L Keyes (Dun Laoghaire), D Muldowney (Carton House), J Foley (Elm Park), C O'Connor (Roscommon);

81 B Thomas (Wal), R Reid (Greystones), C McCarthy (USA), R Campbell (Greenacres), V Krause (Ger), C Byrne (Strabane), A Bolger (Castle), S Casey (Hermitage), T Browne (Naas), S Miller (Clandeboye);

82 O Reilly (Newlands), S Collins (Bermuda), N Gaffney (Greystones), M Collins (Bundoran), S Watts (St Anne's), S Murtagh (Mullingar);

83 S Kearns (Elm Park), J Nolan (Birr), M Gibson (Knock), M Schulze (Ger), M Troy (Dungarvan), D Behan (Naas);

84 K Connaughton (Roscommon), J Brown (The Heritage);

85 D Cunningham (Tuam), R Davidson (Knock), W O'Halloran (Eng), D O'Malley (Black Bush);

86 M O'Brien (Elm Park), D Connolly (Castle Dargan), S McDermott (Highfield);

88 J Richardson (Eng), T Flanagan (Co Sligo);

89 P Costello (Cregmore Park);

94 C Walsh (Clandeboye);

96 E McGrath (Athlone), M Duggan (Highfield);

RTD S Carpenter (Forrest Little), S Whelan (Royal Tara), S Nohilly (Galway), O Maguire (Slieve Russell)