Adam Buchanan loved a dream debut within the Pierse Motor Group South of Eire Beginner Open Championship when he opened with a six-under 66 to assert a share of the primary spherical lead at Lahinch.
The 20-year-old Ballyclare native, who made such a splash with NAIA faculty Keiser College this season that he is secured a switch to NCAA Division I ranked Louisville subsequent month, made seven birdies and a lone bogey on the 14th to share high spot with Royal Dublin’s Sean Downes on an ideal hyperlinks day in west Clare.
“I gained the Convention and had 5 top-fives,” reported Buchanan, who can be a member of Knock Golf Membership, “I used to be going to remain one other yr after which determine to switch, however Louisville reached out, and it was too laborious to show down.”
Downes additionally had seven birdies in his 66 earlier than he was joined within the lead by former Irish Boys panelist Buchanan, who claimed his first Senior win final yr when he gained the Ulster Males’s Strokeplay at Clandeboye.
He had by no means performed Lahinch till this week and he made it appear to be little one’s play in a northwest wind that diversified in depth all through the day as he birdied the second and hit a nine-iron shut on the sixth earlier than including additional birdies on the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth.
He three-putted the 14th from the entrance of the inexperienced however birdied the seventeenth to get to 5 beneath earlier than failing to rise up and down from simply in need of the 18th, lacking a six footer for a 65.
“I used to be really actually pleased with it,” stated Buchanan, who had solely performed Lahinch’s opening six holes on TrackMan earlier than his arrival in west Clare and couldn’t have requested for a greater debut. “I left a couple of putts on the market however I performed very strong.
“I solely missed one inexperienced, and after I missed it, I used to be like an inch off it. In order that makes life rather a lot simpler. Perhaps missed three fairways and my solely bogey was a three-putt.”
His flighted six-iron to eight toes into the wind on the quick eleventh wowed his taking part in companions however even after a sizzling begin, he’s not heaping expectations on his shoulders.
“The objective is to make the reduce,” he stated. “It might bench to get a run to the quarters or semis however we’ll take it because it comes.”
Downes and Buchanan lead by a shot from Westport’s Conor Stapleton and former Irish Shut champion Quentin Carew from Castleknock Golf Membership, who can be taking it someday at a time.
The 34-year-old Dublin-based Garda made eight birdies in his five-under 67 with 5 of these birdies coming in his final six holes.
“I’m making an attempt to get a bit extra household time this yr however the recreation is coming again,” Carew stated after making 4 birdies in a row from the twelfth and including one other on the par-five 18th.
“Coming into this, I hadn’t performed for 2 weeks after being on holidays, simply hit a couple of balls. It’s good in a method since you are available in feeling extra relaxed and have fewer expectations.
“That is the championship that everybody appears ahead to due to the venue, the course and the views. No person is in dangerous kind and even when fellas get knocked out, no one goes dwelling.”
After going out in two-under with a bogey on the Dell, Carew bogeyed the tenth and eleventh earlier than storming again with that late birdie run.
Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty, champion in 2018, was in an enormous group on three-under after a 69 but it surely was more durable work for among the different main lights.Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell, who was champion two years in the past, shot a three-over 75 whereas final yr’s runner-up, Millicent’s Brian Doran, signed for a 79.
It additionally was a blended day for among the veterans within the subject.
Whereas Ballybunion’s Peter Sheehan shot 78 in his fortieth consecutive look within the occasion, Robbie Cannon shot 70, Pat Murray a 71 and Joe Lyons a 73 in one of many extra skilled threeballs on the course whereas Douglas’ Karl Bornemann carded a 72.
Pierse Motor Group South of Eire Beginner Open Championship, Lahinch (Previous, Par 72)
Qualifying, First Spherical
Detailed scores
66 S Downes (Royal Dublin), A Buchanan (Royal Portrush);
67 Q Carew (Castleknock), C Stapleton. (Westport);
69 L Kelly (Dunfanaghy), B Oberholzer (Clandeboye), M Cadden (Roganstown), J Boles (Charleville), D Keating (Seapoint), S Loftus (Lahinch), C Rafferty (Dundalk);
70 Ok Egan (Carton Home), B O’Connell (Douglas), E Magill (East Clare), A Smith (Mullingar), P O’Hanlon (Carton Home), D Lally (Blainroe), J Whelan (Grange), R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), R Cannon (Balbriggan), R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire);
71 J Sutherland (Galgorm Fortress), J McCarthy (Grange), D McCormack (Corrstown), C McDonnell (Concra Wooden), E O’Carroll (St Anne’s), D Kitt (Athenry), B Cahill (Dundalk), J Walsh (Douglas), N Hearns (Mountrath), J Dillon (Lahinch), M Gazi (Tralee), P Murray (Adare Manor);
72 D Reddan (Castleknock), T Higgins (Roscommon), TJ Ford (Co Sligo), H Gillivan (Portmarnock), D Flynn (Carton Home), R McCormack (Palmerstown Home), C MacCanna (Carton Home), L Cunningham (Galway Bay), J Hood (Galgorm Fortress), E Sullivan (Portmarnock), J Marriott (West Surrey), B Howlin (The Heritage), Ok Bornemann (Douglas), D O’Sullivan (Tralee), I O’Connell (Castleknock), J Rackard (Bunclody);
73 M Crowe (Elm Park), G Collins (Rosslare), P Curran (Edmondstown), S Desmond (Monkstown), R Carvill (Warrenpoint), J Hill (Galgorm Fortress), G O’Neill (Malahide), T Abom (Edmondstown), C Hickey (Dooks), J Maginn (Mourne), R Sykes (Dun Laoghaire), G Donohoe (Enniscorthy), D Hogg (Belvoir Park), M Giles (Greenore), C Murphy (Grange, J Lyons (Galway), D Holmes (Greystones), C Kenny (Portmarnock), A Allahbachani (Powerscourt);
74 L O’Neill (Connemara), D Shiel (Enniscrone), F Dobbin (Malone), D Lyne (Lahinch), J O’Neill (Berehaven), A McCormack (Castletroy), R Latimer (Knock), C Clarke (Balmoral), J Butler (Naas), Ok Robinson (Castlewarden), S Carroll (Ballybunion), T O’Connor (Athlone);
75 S Gormley (Blainroe), P Coughlan (Castleknock), D Howard (Fota Island), S Barry (Fota Island), M O’Sullivan (Ballyneety), P O Dochartaigh (Gweedore), C Cooley (Belvoir Park), A Brady (Co Sligo), A Challoner (Galway Bay), E Monaghan (Tullamore), C Poland (Elm Park), C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), T Scroope (Nenagh), C Campbell (Warrenpoint), A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), L Abom (Edmondstown), J Keane (Lahinch);
76 D Kelly (Millicent), A Barker (Corrstown), J Murphy (Douglas), S Dorman (Bangor), J Foley (Elm Park), M Cain (Cork);
77 Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park), S Murphy (Grange), G O’Mahony (Fota Island), S Gammell (Naas), E Rogers (Killeen Fortress), L Lyons (Limerick),A Naughton (Hermitage), S Gallagher (Castleknock), J Kelly (Athy), J Sabir (Moate), J Sommer (Zurich), C O’Connor (Roscommon), J McDonnell (Royal Dublin), A Gavin (Black Bush);
78 WJ Nicholl (Galgorm Fortress), C Ward (Carton Home), L Furlong (Wexford), L O’Connor (Edmondstown), S Flanagan (Portmarnock), P Sheehan (Ballybunion), M Grealy (Galway Bay);
79 J Larkin (Palmerstown Home), N Conneely (Ballinasloe), C Gregan (Forrest Little), B Doran (Millicent), S Kelly (The Island);
80 C Penney (Athenry), C McCarthy (Headfort), R Murray (Balmoral), N Knudsen (Lyngbygaard, Den), D Byrne (Els Membership Dubai), J Doherty (Carton Home), B Thompson (Olympic Membership), R Walsh (Douglas), R Lyons (Blarney), C Dean (Dun Laoghaire), A Hiney (Moate), R Galligan (Elm Park), D Kelleher (Blarney), S McLoughlin (Co Sligo), A McNulty (Lahinch);
81 E Murphy (Dundalk), N Patterson (Baltinglass), D Harbourne (Grange);
83 C Haygood (Heathrow), L O’Dwyer (Forrest Little);
85 D O’Malley (Black Bush).
