Alex Maguire is gunning for his second big win of the year after carding a course-record, seven-under 65 to lead the qualifiers in the AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close at Headfort's New Course.

The Laytown and Bettystown talent, who won the North of Ireland and Connacht Strokeplay last year before claiming the East of Ireland in June with rounds of 65 and 68 on the final day, claimed the silver medal by a shot from Malone's Matthew McClean, who shot 70, and Royal Dublin's Max Kennedy, who carded a 72, on five-under-par 139.

“It’s nice to be leading qualifier and get the silver medal but it starts all over again tomorrow,” said Maguire, who faces Castlerock’s Quentin Carew in today’s first round.

“I wanted to play this. I was kicking myself that I missed it last year so I got permission from my coach at Florida Atlantic to stay on for this week.”

Maguire got off to the perfect start, knocking in birdie putts at the first three holes, knocking in two 20-footers before hitting his approach close at the second.

He picked up further shots at the sixth and seventh, hitting a six-iron to 20 feet at the par-five to set up a two-putt birdie before making two at the next to turn in five-under 31.

He three-putted the 12th up the tier from the front of the green for his only bogey of another sweltering day at the Christy O’Connor Jnr designed layout which is one of the leading candidates to host the Irish Challenge on the Challenge Tour next season.

He bounced back by knocking in a 10-footer for birdie at the 13th, then made another good putt for birdie at the 15th before another good six-iron set up his eighth birdie of the day at the par-five 16th.

“I drove it decently but my iron play was very good — I am hitting the high fade I’ve been looking for so I am committed to every shot because as you start missing greens out here, it is very tough with gnarly rough, which always seems to be into the grain.

“I’ve hit a lot of four irons off the tee early in rounds and then hit a lot more drivers from the 13th on.

“It would be nice to win this. It was always my dream to be Irish champion but I am a long way away from that now and I am not getting ahead of myself.

“I am here to play as well as I can so I can hold my head up high at the end of the year.”

He won’t find it easy at a classic course that looks certain to crown a quality winner given the demands it places on course management, accuracy and shot-making.

McClean might be looking for his first amateur “major” but the North of Ireland and Irish Amateur Open runner-up looks like he will take some stopping after carding a second successive 70.

“I’ve played very nicely so far,” McClean said after mixing three birdies with a bogey at the par-five 14th. “I’ve hit it lovely from tee to green and my irons were very good. I think I’ve only missed four greens in the two rounds and just had a few three-putts and a couple of mistakes there on 14.”

Having started on the back nine, McClean was one-over through five holes before he stiffed a gap wedge at the 18th, then followed a birdie four at the second with a two at the seventh where he hit an eight-iron to 10 feet.

“I just need to get the putter a wee bit hotter now for the matchplay.”

Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe equalled the course record with a 66 before Enniscorthy’s Conroy matched it as playing partner Maguire set a new best.

Conroy, who has two years of eligibility remaining at the University of Chatanooga, tied for fourth with Ross Latimer and overnight leader Keith Egan on three-under.

“It was lovely out there,” Conroy said. “I needed a waiver to play this week but I am excited to go back. I graduate this year but I have an extra year of eligibility because of COVID.”

O’Keeffe eagled the second before picking up another four birdies in a 66 to undo the damage of his opening 76 to tie for seventh with Jordan Hood on two-under.

“I obviously wasn’t happy with yesterday but went off and found a farmer’s field and had a really nice feel for today,” said O’Keeffe who could freewheel after hitting a 255-yard three iron to eight feet to set up his eagle at the second. “I played with lovely control and the swing feels good. The greens are perfect so looking forward to the matchplay.”

Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley is also looking good as he bids to match Darren Clarke’s feat of 1990 and added the Close to wins in the South of Ireland and North of Ireland this year.

After struggling to an opening 75 due to a stomach bug and a sty in his eye, he covered his front nine in four under, then recovered from a bogey at the first and a double bogey at the third with birdies at the fifth and sixth to qualify in seventh place on level par after a 69 and set up a tough first round match with Portmarnock’s Sean Flanagan.

“I had a bit of stomach bug and a sty underneath the eyelid but I felt much better today,” said Foley, who is looking to hole out well in the matchplay.

“You never know when the 15 footers are going to drop but if you look like you are holing out well. that can put a lot of pressure on your opponent and intimidate them. “You don’t have to hole everything but holing out well is important.

“The course is great. A really enjoyable test.”

The cut for the top 64 fell at seven-over 151 with seven of the 13 on that mark making it through,.

international Liam Nolan from Galway was the biggest name to miss out on that mark after a second-round 79.

The 64 qualifiers will play the first round from 7 am on Monday with the field reduced to 16 by day’s end following the second round matches in the afternoon.

AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship, Headfort (New Course, Par 72)

Detailed scores / Matchplay draw

Qualifiers

139 A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 65 (Silver medal as leading qualifier);

140 M McClean (Malone) 70 70, M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 68 72;

141 P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 75 66, R Latimer (Clandeboye) 70 71, K Egan (Carton House) 67 74;

142 P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 76 66, J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 72 70;

143 D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) 75 68, M Shiel (Galway Bay) 75 68, J Byrne (Baltinglass) 73 70, B St John (Portmarnock) 72 71;

144 C Mooney (Ballinasloe) 76 68, H Foley (Royal Dublin) 75 69, D Kitt (Athenry) 75 69, J McCabe (Roganstown) 74 70, D Keating (Seapoint) 70 74;

145 S Keeling (Roganstown) 76 69, J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 74 71, A Hickey (Ballyhaunis) 72 73;

146 S Walker (Roscommon) 76 70, J Fox (Portmarnock) 75 71, S O'Brien (Nenagh) 75 71, C Murtagh (The Island) 74 72, M Gazi (Tralee) 74 72, A Fahy (Bray) 73 73, T Dowdall (Woodbrook) 71 75, R Symington (Lisburn) 71 75;

147 C Butler (Kinsale) 77 70, S O'Neill (Slieve Russell) 77 70, R Hynes (Royal Dublin) 77 70, A Challoner (Galway Bay) 74 73, R Milne (Faithlegg) 74 73, G Dunne (Co. Louth) 74 73, J Boles (Charleville) 73 74, A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 73 74, M Deasy (Douglas) 72 75, R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 72 75;

148 P Keeling (Roganstown) 77 71, J Butler (Killeen) 76 72, S Murphy (Portumna) 76 72, R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 76 72, S O'Connor (Castlebar) 75 73, S McGlynn (Portmarnock) 74 74, J Rackard (Enniscorthy) 74 74, J Cleary (Elm Park) 73 75, D Muldowney (Carton House) 73 75, J Foley (Elm Park) 71 77;

149 J Blake (The Island) 77 72, J Doyle (Fota Island) 75 74, S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 72 77, C Moulds (Lisburn) 71 78;

150 E Murphy (Dundalk) 79 71, J Whelan (Grange) 77 73, A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 76 74, T Higgins (Roscommon) 76 74, N Hearns (Mountrath) 73 77, L Abom (Edmondstown) 72 78, C Denvir (Elm Park) 70 80;

151 P Coughlan (Castleknock) 81 70, D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown) 78 73, T Abom (Edmondstown) 77 74, C Harkin (Letterkenny) 76 75, Q Carew (Castleknock) 76 75.

Non-qualifiers

151 A Hill (Roscommon) 76 75, G Collins (Rosslare) 76 75, D McCormack (Corrstown) 75 76, E Magill (East Clare) 74 77, S Desmond (Monkstown) 73 78, D Flynn (Carton House) 73 78, L Nolan (Galway) 72 79, S McDermott (Slieve Russell) 72 79;

152 A Foley (Edmondstown) 81 71, C Johnston (Dundalk) 79 73, R Galligan (Elm Park) 78 74, T Ford (Co. Sligo) 78 74, E Shipp (Headfort) 78 74, C Hickey (Dooks) 77 75, D O'Riordan (Fermoy) 76 76, H Gillivan (Westport) 76 76, S Reddy (Douglas) 76 76;

153 S Lillis (Kilrush) 79 74, C Hendrick (Grange) 79 74, L Lynch (Naas) 79 74, E Freeman (Tulfarris) 78 75, K McCarron (North West) 78 75, S Irwin (Castleknock) 76 77, A McCormick (Scrabo) 76 77, D Cleary (Tipperary) 76 77, C Ryan (Bray) 76 77, K Robinson (Castlewarden) 75 78, H Fanagan (Milltown) 74 79, J Hanney (The Island) 74 79;

154 M Cain (Cork) 83 71, J Rowe (Belvoir Park) 79 75, A King (Faithlegg) 78 76, R Williamson (Holywood) 78 76, A Brady (Co. Sligo) 76 78, L O'Connor (Edmondstown) 76 78, D Connellan (St. Anne's) 75 79, L Gowdy (Bangor) 75 79, S O'Connell (Athenry) 73 81;

155 I Lynch (Rosslare) 80 75, S Deasy (Douglas) 80 75, R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 80 75, T Plunkett (Crover House) 78 77, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 77 78, A Doran (Co. Louth) 76 79, P Buckley (Cork) 75 80, C Boggan (Co. Meath) 74 81;

156 L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin) 85 71, M O'Sullivan (Laytown & Bettystown) 83 73, A Buchanan (Royal Portrush) 81 75;

157 L Cunningham (Galway Bay) 81 76, M Kelly (Naas) 81 76, L Harris (Hermitage) 81 76, P McGrath (Galway Bay) 81 76, J Kelly (Ardee) 80 77, E Brady (Headfort) 78 79;

158 A Dooley (Carton House) 84 74, M Boucher (Carton House) 84 74, A Smith (Mullingar) 81 77, C Dunphy (Killeen Castle) 78 80, D Shiel (Powerscourt) 78 80, M McKinstry (Cairndhu) 75 83, S Hogan (The Heritage) 75 83;

159 J McCarthy (Powerscourt) 80 79;

160 R McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate) 86 74, M Furlong (Arklow) 78 82;

161 A Kelly (New Forest) 83 78, D Beirne (The K Club) 82 79;

162 M Dodd (St. Anne's) 84 78, S Cunningham (Esker Hills) 83 79, S Whelan (Royal Tara) 82 80, A Gaynor (Co. Sligo) 81 81, C Tracey (Co. Louth) 80 82, R Fitzpatrick (Naas) 79 83;

163 S Duffy (Royal Tara) 87 76, M Doogue (Baltinglass) 84 79;

165 E Sullivan (Carton House) 84 81;

NR 86 H Morgan (Donabate);

RTD 79 J Doherty (Carton House);

RTD 80 R Brazill (Naas);

RTD 8 K Murphy (Arklow).

First round draw

1. 07:00 A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) v Q Carew (Castleknock);

2. 07:08 A Challoner (Galway Bay) v R Milne (Faithlegg);

3. 07:16 J McCabe (Roganstown) v J Blake (The Island);

4. 07:24 D Keating (Seapoint) v J Foley (Elm Park);

5. 07:32 J Hood (Galgorm Castle) v N Hearns (Mountrath);

6. 07:40 M Gazi (Tralee) v J Butler (Killeen);

7. 07:48 D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) v T Higgins (Roscommon);

8. 07:56 C Murtagh (The Island) v S Murphy (Portumna);

9. 08:04 P Conroy (Enniscorthy) v D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown);

10. 08:12 C Butler (Kinsale) v A Kiernan (Forrest Little);

11. 08:20 C Mooney (Ballinasloe) v C Moulds (Lisburn);

12. 08:28 A Hickey (Ballyhaunis) v J Rackard (Enniscorthy);

13. 08:36 R Latimer (Clandeboye) v P Coughlan (Castleknock);

14. 08:44 R Symington (Lisburn) v M Deasy (Douglas);

15. 08:52 B St John (Portmarnock) v Eoin Murphy (Dundalk);

16. 09:00 S Walker (Roscommon) v S McGlynn (Portmarnock);

17. 09:08 M McClean (Malone) v C Harkin (Letterkenny);

18. 09:16 R Hynes (Royal Dublin) v G Dunne (Co. Louth);

19. 09:24 D Kitt (Athenry) v J Doyle (Fota Island);

20. 09:32 S Keeling (Roganstown) v D Muldowney (Carton House);

21. 09:40 P O'Keeffe (Douglas) v L Abom (Edmondstown)

22. 09:48 A Fahy (Bray) v P Keeling (Roganstown);

23. 09:56 M Shiel (Galway Bay) v A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown);

24. 10:04 S O'Brien (Nenagh) v R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire);

25. 10:12 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) v T Abom (Edmondstown);

26. 10:20 S Og O'Neill (Slieve Russell) v J Boles (Charleville);

27. 10:28 H Foley (Royal Dublin) v S Flanagan (Portmarnock);

28. 10:36 J McDonnell (Forrest Little) v J Cleary (Elm Park);

29. 10:44 K Egan (Carton House) v C Denvir (Elm Park);

30. 10:52 T Dowdall (Woodbrook) v R Knightly (Royal Dublin);

31. 11:00 J Byrne (Baltinglass) v J Whelan (Grange);

32. 11:08 J Fox (Portmarnock) v S O'Connor (Castlebar).