Scottish raider Wilson heads seven-strong Irish posse at The Island
Matthew Wilson (Scotland) during the first round of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open in The Island. Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
Scotland’s Matthew Wilson took advantage of the best of the early conditions to open with a three-under 69 for a one-shot lead in the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open at The Island.
Eight of the 11 sub-par rounds were shot in the morning wave, and Wilson, twice a winner in Scotland already this year, took advantage to card five birdies and lead by the minimum from a seven-strong Irish chasing posse.
“It was nice to take advantage of the better draw this morning. I played really well and made pars on the tough holes but took my chances when I had them,” Wilson said. “It’d be nice to challenge in an event like this. Expectations were high coming in.”
West of Ireland champion Alan Fahy shares second place with fellow internationals Robert Moran from Castle and Galway’s Liam Nolan (the runner-up at Rosses Point), Co Louth’s Gerard Dunne, Royal Portrush’s Jack Madden, Ballybofey and Stranorlar’s Ryan Griffin, and Co Sligo’s Sean McLoughlin on two-under.
“It was about getting off to a solid start today,” the Bray man said. |I was two-over at one point and trying to hang in but was four-under on the back nine. It was unexpected, but there are more opportunities on the back-nine.”
Dunne, a teacher in O’Fiach College in Dundalk, returned to school for the afternoon in great spirits after a 70.
“It was a day about patience,” the Co Louth man said. “It’s a long four days, but I’m happy where I am. You can’t win it on the first day, but you can lose it today.
“I didn’t get to play a practice round yesterday. I’m back to work this afternoon, and I’ve a one-year-old at home. I’m juggling everything, but it can be a positive too. There are plenty of distractions.”
Griffin, who reached the quarter-finals of the West of Ireland Championship at Easter, was one of only four players to break par in the afternoon when southwest winds gusted well over 20 mph.
“I’d have taken it at the start of the day,” he said. “It’s all about putting myself in a good position. I’m playing smart and putting the practice in. I’m happy in my game and not getting stressed on course.”
There are five players from The Island in the field with Donabate native Joseph Hanney the happiest of them after a 71.
“It’s brilliant to be in contention,” he said as he ended the day tied for ninth with Athenry’s Sean O’Connell and Carton House’s Marc Boucher. “The course is set up differently for a Championship.
Hitting greens was essential today. Today was about hanging in and staying in contention.”
Two-time champion Peter O’Keeffe opened his title defence with a two-over 74 that left him tied 26th.
Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley, who was runner-up to O’Keeffe at The European Club last year, was three-under after six holes.
But after dropping five shots in the middle of his round, he rallied with birdies at the 15th and 18th to card a level par 72 and share 12th place with Joshua Hill from Galgorm Castle, Naas’ David Marshall Jnr, Roganstown’s Patrick Keeling. Swede Wilhelm Ahlgren and Athenry’s David Kitt.
Flogas Irish Amateur Open, The Island (Par 72)
Round one
69 M Wilson (Sco);
70 A Fahy (Bray), G Dunne (Co. Louth), J Madden (Royal Portrush), L Nolan (Galway), R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar GC), R Moran (Castle), S McLoughlin (Co. Sligo);
71 J Hanney (The Island), S O'Connell (Athenry), M Boucher (Carton House);
72 J Hill (Galgorm Castle), D Marshall (Naas), P Keeling (Roganstown), W Ahlgren (Swe), D Kitt (Athenry), H Foley (Royal Dublin);
73 M McClean (Malone), R Cannon (Balbriggan), S Flanagan (Portmarnock), E Murphy (Dundalk), J Murphy (Douglas), D Flynn (Carton House), C Campbell (Warrenpoint), E McCormack (Galway Bay)
74 R McKeever (Castle), I Lynch (Rosslare), H Gillivan (Westport), S McDermott (Slieve Russell), J Whelan (Grange), K Popert (Eng), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), A Brady (Co. Sligo);
75 A McCabe (The Links Portmarnock), J Fox (Portmarnock), T Lecomte (SUI), C Murtagh (The Island), J Stewart (Sco), C Rafferty (Dundalk), L O'Connor (Edmondstown), S Keeling (Roganstown), L Talarczyk (Eng), J McDonnell (Forrest Little), T Ford (Co. Sligo), L Irvine (Sco), A Dooley (Carton House), F Macarthur (Eng), G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock);
76 L Abom (Edmondstown), A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown), A Brady (Aus), C Hickey (Dooks), D Connellan (St. Anne's), P O'Hanlon (Carton House), C Harkin (Letterkenny), C O'Connor (Corrstown), E Sullivan (Carton House), C Denvir (Elm Park), M Deasy (Douglas), G Collins (Rosslare), J Blake (The Island), R Knightly (Royal Dublin), A Kiernan (Forrest Little);
77 K Murphy (Arklow), H Byers (Eng), M Ford (Aus), T Heaton (Aus), R Muir (Sco), M Roberts (Wal), A Mulholland (Castlerock), A King (Faithlegg), S Hedger (Sco), S Carroll (Ballybunion), R Milne (Faithlegg), J Foley (Elm Park), J Cleary (Elm Park), C Wilson (Sco);
78 P Coughlan (Castleknock), P O Dochartaigh (Gweedore), D O'Riordan (Fermoy), L Cunningham (Galway Bay), A Saleem (Sco), D Shiel (Powerscourt), G Lenehan (Portmarnock), M Shiel (Galway Bay), R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), T Dowdall (Woodbrook);
79 S Kenneally (Kinsale), D Keating (Seapoint), S Cooper (Enniscorthy), R Laird (Sco), C Steel (Eng), J Rowe (Belvoir Park), R Kennelly (Castleknock);
80 C Gugler (SUI), S Carter (Royal Dublin), A Challoner (Galway Bay), A Hiney (Moate), L Kelly (Belvoir Park), B Ronan (Co. Louth), R McNelis (Fintona), S O Neill (Slieve Russell), D O'Sullivan (Tralee), C O'Connor (Roscommon), S Desmond (Monkstown), S Dowling (The Island);
81 C Butler (Kinsale), S Lillis (Kilrush), Q Carew (Castleknock), K LeBlanc (The Island), A Benson (Sco), J Hood (Galgorm Castle), M Scowsill (Eng), S O'Connor (Castlebar);
82 O Brown (Wal), J Lyons (Galway), E Lisibach (Sco), N Hearns (Mountrath);
83 P Buckley (Cork), C Ryan (Bray), J Walsh (Douglas), M Giles (Greenore), T Plunkett (Crover House);
84 J Hewitt (Tandragee), K Egan (Carton House), T Higgins (Roscommon), R Brazill (Naas);
85 G O'Neill (Malahide);
86 R Walsh Jr (Douglas);
87 R O'Connor (Co. Sligo);
90 R Lindsay (Sco);
WD 83 S Irwin (Castleknock).