Robbie Walsh leads the Connacht Boys after an impressive round where he shot a 68.  The Kinsale teenager had five birdies on his way the the four under par round in Oughterard.  A bogey on the final hole spoiled an otherwise flawless round, and he ties the overnight lead with Joshua Hill.  Keelan McCarthy (Lee Valley) and Shane Connor (East Cork) are the next best Cork players, they shot level par and are tied for 13th place.  Muskerry duo Fionn Hickey (+2) and Jack Egan (+3) are both inside the top thirty, along with Mallow’s Ronan Feerick.  Round two in Oughterard takes place tomorrow with the top 45 qualifying for the final round.

Pat Lyons leads in Kilkenny – Irish Seniors Close Pat Lyons shot an opening one under par 70 in Kilkenny today to lead the Irish Seniors Close Championship.  The Cork GC member had a steady start with eight pars before he birdied the ninth to turn on -1.  Back to back birdies followed on the 12th & 13th but he dropped two shots on the 15th and finished on -1.  That was two shots better than the field, Greystones Barry O’Leary is second on 72.  Castlemartyr’s John O’Brien is in 7th place on 74 and Hugh O’Leary (Muskerry) & Stephen Graham (Doneraile) are both tied in 15th place on 75.

Irish Seniors Close Championship. Kilkenny Golf Club, 3-5 July 2019

Round One Scores – Complete (Par 71)

70 P Lyons (Cork)
72 B O’Leary (Greystones); E Haugh (Castletroy)
73 P Purdy (Shandon Park); N Duke (Killiney); B Hobson (Malone)
74 T Cleary (Woodstock); A Condren (Greystones); J O’Brien (Castlemartyr); P Sheehan (Ballybunion); J Mitchell (Tramore); A Egan (Royal Curragh); S Underwood (Co Sligo); J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown)
75 P Higgins (Naas); C Lally (Blainroe); L Connolly (Wexford); H O’Leary (Muskerry); S Graham (Doneraile); G McGimpsey (Royal Portrush); D O’Neill (The Links Portmarnock); A McDonald (Kilkenny)
76 B Loftus (Lahinch); M Quirke (Doneraile); J Joyce (Borris); D Mulholland (Castlerock)
77 P Murphy (Killarney); D Brabazon (Balbriggan); L Halpin (Westport); D Varian (Dun Laoghaire); B Daish (Dun Laoghaire); T Tyrrell (The Heath); J Garvey (Seapoint); S Alley (Co Tipperary); C Donovan (Portarlington); E Rogers (Dundalk); A Moran (Tuam); J Grant (The Island); D Lowans (Dun Laoghaire)
78 T Lennon (Carlow); K Bornemann (Douglas); J Crangle (Fortwillam); F Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown); B Lavery (Belvoir Park); C Walshe (Dundalk); R Fitzgerald (Tramore); C Murphy (Clandeboye); H Smyth (Mourne); N Mannion (Dun Laoghaire)
79 M Scott (Hollystown); D O’Donovan (Bandon); J O’Malley (Rathdowney); J Crean (Kinsale); B Cunningham (Carton House); R Guilfoyle (Kilkenny); T McClements (Clandeboye); T Cleary (Cork); R Timlin (Galway); J Williams (Castle); A Brannock (Newlands); B Donlon (Birr); D Smith (Millicent)
80 M Gaynor (Co Meath); M Darcy (Tullamore); L Kelly (Kilkenny); R Duggan (Kilkenny); P Madigan (Waterford Castle)
81 P Cowley (Cork); J Whelan (Athenry); M Chambers (Royal Dublin)
82 T Hayes (Co Louth); J Crowley (The Island); V Smyth (Co Louth); I Smyth (Clandeboye); F Leonard (Knightsbrook); L Doran (Co Louth); J McVeigh (Carlow); M O’Neill (Clonmel); T Byrne (Greystones); E Power (Kilkenny)
83 J Dempsey (Royal Curragh); P Phelan (Cahir Park); A Cleere (Kilkenny); M Galvin (Castleknock); D Brophy (Kilkenny); T Griffin (Corballis Links)
84 B McDonnell (K Club); P Carbin (Athenry); G O’Sullivan (Tralee); M Windebank (Portstewart); J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin); A Smith (Blainroe)
85 M Shortall (Kilkenny); J O’Sullivan (Fota Island); N McGrane (Royal Dublin)
86 F Moriarty ( Thurles); I Brown (Kilkenny)
87 T Butler (Kilkenny); M Davey (Mourne); M Higgins (Connemara)
88 R Curtin (Kilkenny); J Burke (Kilkenny); B O’Malley (Royal Dublin); G Finn (Cork)
89 F Dalton (Kilkenny)
90 A Murphy (Co Sligo); S Healy (Galway)
93 D Sheedy (Lahinch)
NR A Bell (Greencastle); K Knightly (Royal Dublin)
RTD K Sheehy (Athlone); J Carroll (Co Louth)