Athlone's O'Connor leads after impressive opening day at South of Ireland Amateur Open
Athlone golfer Thomas O'Connor will be taking a two shot lead into Round 2 of the South of Ireland Amateur Open when he tees off in Lahinch this morning (Thursday).
The local man is due to start his round at 10.50am, after making impressive start to the competition yesterday.
On a day of low-scoring on the Clare course, O'Connor’s -9 round of 63 was bookended with birdies to open and close his round.
The Athlone Golf Club representative recorded eight birdies, an eagle, and a bogey.
The 2020 Irish Boys Champion Sam Murphy lies two shots behind O’Connor. The Portumna golfer also recorded eight birdies, to lie on -7.
There is a three-way tie for third place with Royal Dublin's Max Kennedy, Elm Park's Robert Galligan and Naas' David Marshall Jnr on -6.
The 2019 champion, Sean Desmond, began the defence of his title with a +3 round of 75, and is in danger of missing Thursday’s cut ahead of the Matchplay.
All 150 players return today for their second rounds, with the top-64 advancing to Friday's Matchplay, before a winner is crowned on Sunday evening at the County Clare venue.
Round 1 Results
63: T O'Connor (Athlone Golf Club)
65: S Murphy (Portumna Golf Club)
66: M Kennedy (Royal Dublin Golf Club); R Galligan (Elm Park Golf Club); D Marshall (Naas Golf Club)
67: R Moran (Castle Golf Club); M McClean (Malone Golf Club)
68: S Walker (Roscommon Golf Club); H O'Hare (Fortwilliam Golf Club); A Marshall (Lisburn Golf Club); C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown GC); A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown GC)
69: R Walsh Jnr (Douglas Golf Club); S Carroll (Ballybunion Golf Club); K McCarron (North West Golf Club); M Boucher (Carton House Golf Club); D O'Sullivan (Tralee Golf Club); E Shipp (Headfort Golf Club); J Hill (Galgorm Castle Golf Club); D Flynn (Carton House Golf Club)
70: S Carter (Royal Dublin Golf Club); C Hickey (Dooks Golf Club); R Cannon (Balbriggan Golf Club); A Hill (Athenry Golf Club); S Loftus (Lahinch Golf Club); D Kitt (Athenry Golf Club); A Hickey (Galway Bay Golf Club); K Egan (Carton House Golf Club); K Murphy (Arklow Golf Club); J Hood (Galgorm Castle Golf Club); A Kiernan (Forrest Little Golf Club); G Collins (Rosslare Golf Club)
71: E Sullivan (Carton House Golf Club); C Cunningham (Carton House Golf Club); R Latimer (Knock Golf Club); A Mulholland (Castlerock Golf Club); P McGrath (Galway Bay Golf Club); S Ryan (Royal Dublin Golf Club); S Flanagan (Portmarnock Golf Club); P Conroy (Enniscorthy Golf Club); M Mullen (Rosslare Golf Club); J McDonnell (Forrest Little Golf Club)
72: G Rochford (Bray Golf Club); R Knightly (Royal Dublin Golf Club); C Byrne (Strabane Golf Club); J Rackard (Enniscorthy Golf Club); A Smith (Mullingar Golf Club); K Bornemann (Douglas Golf Club); J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle Golf Club); B Smyth (Howth Golf Club); L O'Connor (Edmondstown Golf Club); A Ryan (Thurles Golf Club); R McNelis (Fintona Golf Club); J Whelan (Grange Golf Club); H Foley (Royal Dublin Golf Club); C Nolan (Portmarnock Golf Club); A O'Callaghan (Tralee Golf Club)
73: S Mc Dermott (Slieve Russell Golf Club); R McCrory (Lurgan Golf Club); R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar GC); P Buckley (Cork Golf Club); D McMahon (Castletroy Golf Club); O O'Brien (Limerick Golf Club); J Hanney (The Island Golf Club); P Coughlan (Castleknock Golf Club); T McLarnon (Massereene Golf Club); F Kennedy (The Island Golf Club); L Cunningham (Galway Bay Golf Club); R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire Golf Club); J Blake (The Island Golf Club); C Butler (Kinsale Golf Club); M Buggy (Castlecomer Golf Club); P O'Keeffe (Douglas Golf Club); G Lappin (Belvoir Park Golf Club); L Nolan (Galway Golf Club); J Rowe (Belvoir Park Golf Club); J Greene (Portmarnock Golf Club); J Doherty (Carton House Golf Club); J Robinson (Lisburn Golf Club)
74: E O'Donnell (Tralee Golf Club); D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh Golf Club); A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire Golf Club); J Mackin (Dundalk Golf Club); J Lyons (Galway Golf Club); D O'Riordan (Fermoy Golf Club); S Hogan (Nenagh Golf Club); E Farrell (Ardee Golf Club); I Lynch (Rosslare Golf Club); J Hewitt (Tandragee Golf Club); T Ford (Co. Sligo Golf Club); G Ward (Kinsale Golf Club); L O'Neill (Connemara Golf Club); F O'Sullivan (Tralee Golf Club); R McCrudden (Royal Portrush Golf Club); P Sheehan (Ballybunion Golf Club); S O'Neill (Co. Cavan Golf Club); R O'Doherty (Enniscrone Golf Club); P Murray (Clontarf Golf Club); D Shiel (Powerscourt Golf Club)
75: P Flynn (Tramore Golf Club); T Dowdall (Woodbrook Golf Club); K Crowley (Fota Island Golf Club); T Finnegan (Co. Sligo Golf Club); C Denvir (Elm Park Golf Club); N McCann (Lurgan Golf Club); C Rafferty (Dundalk Golf Club); S Kenneally (Kinsale Golf Club); J Law (East Cork Golf Club); D Byrne (The Els Club Dubai); A Kelly (The Heritage Golf Club); S Downes (Royal Dublin Golf Club); S Desmond (Monkstown Golf Club)
76: C Vaughan (Limerick Golf Club); J McCabe (Roganstown Golf Club); J Cleary (Elm Park Golf Club); E Murphy (Dundalk Golf Club); N O'Loughlin (Druids Glen Golf Club); M Norton (Belvoir Park Golf Club); P Carey (Nenagh Golf Club); A McCormack (Castletroy Golf Club); R Kennelly (Portmarnock Golf Club); J Foley (Elm Park Golf Club); C Cooley (Belvoir Park Golf Club); S O'Connell (Athenry Golf Club)
77: G Bohill (Co. Louth Golf Club); C Rabbette (Esker Hills Golf Club); J O'Riordan (Dungarvan Golf Club); T Plunkett (Crover House Golf Club); J Cunningham (Carton House Golf Club); J Egan (Muskerry Golf Club)
78: C Plower (Galway Bay Golf Club); C Campbell (Warrenpoint Golf Club); C Kelly (Athlone Golf Club); G O'Mahony (Fota Island Golf Club)
79: G Lenehan (Portmarnock Golf Club); T O'Leary (Rosslare Golf Club); D Keating (Seapoint Golf Club); P O'Hara (Kilkenny Golf Club); E Magill (East Clare Golf Club); P Tobin (Douglas Golf Club); G O'Flaherty (Cork Golf Club); N Hearns (Mountrath Golf Club)
80: D Kelleher (Blarney Golf Club); H Gillivan (Westport Golf Club); L Abom (Edmondstown Golf Club)
81: D Leufer (Athenry Golf Club); M O'Kelly (Limerick Golf Club); B Murray (Waterford Castle Golf Club)
83: R Ward (Nenagh Golf Club)
84: S McDermott (Esker Hills Golf Club)