AIG Irish Close: Mullarney fires 65 to lead by three
Ronan Mullarney (Galway) Picture by Pat Cashman
Galway's Ronan Mullarney got his quest for an amateur "major" off to the perfect start with a six-under 65 in the AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at Ballybunion.
The winner of four events on the collegiate circuit in Ireland and the UK over the past three years, Mullarney reached the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship at Portmarnock this summer but a maiden Championship win would put a cherry atop an excellent season.
He leads 131-strong field by three strokes from Kinsale's Cathal Butler after he raced to the turn in 31, mixing an eagle three at the fifth and birdies at the second, fourth, eighth and ninth with just one bogey at the seventh.
Another eagle at the par-five 13th put him seven-under for the day but he dropped a shot at the par-three 15th before finishing with three pars.
He’s no stranger to going low, opening with a nine-under 61 in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at Co Sligo in May en route to a tie for fifth.
Butler made six birdies in his 68 as Mullingar's Liam Grehan, who was a semi-finalists in the recent North of Ireland Championship at Portstewart, made two eagles and two birdies in a 69.
Defending champion Robbie Cannon withdrew due to illness midway through his round while Naas' Robert Brazill, who can wrap up the season-long Bridgestone Order of Merit with a win this week, did well to card a one-over 72.
Brazill followed an opening bogey with a double-bogey six at the tough second to turn in 39 but matched Liam Nolan with the best back nine of the day by coming home in 33 to end the day tied for 18th.
Just seven players managed to break par over the Old Course with Carton House’s Jack Doherty, Kinsale’s Gary Ward, Portmarnock’s James Fox and Royal Dublin’s Richard Knightly tied for fourth after one-under 70s in the race to make the top 64 — the mark was +5 after round one — who qualify for tomorrow's matchplay stages.
Recently crowned South of Ireland champion Sean Desmond from Monkstown is tied for 49th after a four-over 75.
AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship, Ballybunion GC (Old Course, Par 71)
Round One
65 R Mullarney (Galway);
68 C Butler (Kinsale);
69 L Grehan (Mullingar);
70 R Knightly (Royal Dublin), J Doherty (Carton House), G Ward (Kinsale), J Fox (Portmarnock);
71 L Nolan (Galway), D McAleenon (Edenmore), H Duggan (Kilkenny), C Byrne (Woodbrook Golf Club), D Morley (Oughterard), C Campbell (Warrenpoint), S Flanagan (Portmarnock), P Conroy (Enniscorthy), E Farrell (Ardee), E O'Brien (Clontarf);
72 R Brazill (Naas), E Leonard (Killiney), G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock), R Galligan (Elm Park), C Nolan (Galway), E Stack (Ballybunion), C Denvir (Elm Park), P Buckley (Memorial Golf Club), J Temple (Portmarnock);
73 K Stack (Dungarvan), N Hearns (Mountrath), M McAlpin (Royal Portrush), J Blake (The Island), S Hogan (Nenagh), P O' Keeffe (Douglas), A McCormack (Castletroy), J Lyons (Galway);
74 T Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown), G Dunne (Co. Louth), C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), H Gillivan (Westport), D Coyle (Portmarnock), R Walsh Jr (Kinsale), J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle), P Sheehan (Ballybunion), S Walsh (Portmarnock), A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), D Brady (Co. Sligo), J Murphy (Kinsale), P Murray (Clontarf), G O'Mahony (Fota Island);
75 S Desmond (Monkstown), W Russell (Clandeboye), C Dunphy (Killeen Castle), E Griffin (Waterford), E Murphy (Dundalk), H O'Hare (Fortwilliam), W Small (Tandragee), E Smith (The Links Portmarnock), D McCormack (Roganstown), T Dowdall (Woodbrook), K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire), M Reid (Galgorm Castle), R O'Connor (Co. Sligo), B Best (Rathmore);
76 J McCarthy (Grange), P Coughlan (Castleknock), M McCormack (Moss Creek), C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire), L Power (Galway), K McCormack (Portarlington), P Murphy (Rosslare), R Nelson (Belvoir Park), B Shally (Dromoland);
77 M Deasy (Lee Valley), R Clarke (The Island), J Mc Donnell (Forrest Little), R Moran (Castle), M McKenna (Dun Laoghaire), B Murray (Waterford Castle), I Lynch (Rosslare), M McClean (Malone), T Ford (Co. Sligo), S Murphy (Portumna), D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh), C Feeney (Co. Sligo), S Carroll (Ballybunion), J Hood (Galgorm Castle);
78 N Crawford (Mourne), T McLarnon (Massereene), M Boucher (Carton House), M Young (Golf du Priéure), R Black (Hilton Templepatrick), P McKeever (Castle), R O'Doherty (Enniscrone), A Lowry (Esker Hills), R Milne (Faithlegg), C Glennon (Glasson), A Doran (Co. Louth);
79 T Higgins (Roscommon), E Shipp (Headfort), P Tobin (Douglas), R Williamson (Holywood), D O'Driscoll (Ballybunion), P O'Connor (Macroom), C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), A Ryan (Thurles), J Keane (Lahinch);
80 F O'Sullivan (Tralee), M Healy (Kinsale), M McKinstry (Cairndhu), R McCrudden (Royal Portrush), L O'Connor (Edmondstown), T Plunkett (Crover House), P Naughton (Limerick);
81 P Brennan (Belvoir Park), J Whelan (Newlands), K Morrison (Holywood), C Hickey (Dooks), P O'Hara (Kilkenny), M McPartlin (Smurfit);
82 B Lenihan (Ballybunion), D Kitt (Athenry);
83 S O'Connor (Castlebar), D Flynn (Carton House), A Hill (Athenry), D Leufer (Athenry), R Latimer (Knock);
84 M Nolan (Dun Laoghaire);
85 E Rumley (Kinsale);
86 M O’Sullivan (The International), P Connolly (Killeen Castle);
89 J Tuohy (Galway Bay);
92 K Lynch (Skibbereen);
RTD R Cannon (Balbriggan).
