Mulligan shows form in Scottish Amateur
Thomas Mulligan. Picture: Pat Cashman
Oregon-bound Thomas Mulligan is just three shots off the lead after opening with a sparkling 67 in the Carrick Neill Scottish Men's Open Championship at Western Gailes.
The Laytown and Bettystown talent made six birdies in a four-under par effort to share fifth place behind leaders Alister Balcombe and Callum Fyfe.
it wasn't a great day for the rest of the eight-strong Irish party with Hermitage's Rowan Lester (71) the only other player to match par.
The rest are outside the top 40 and ties who will make the 36-hole cut with Walker Cup hopeful Conor O'Rourke the man with the most to do after an opening 79.
O'Rourke heads to St Andrews next week to defend the St Andrews Links Trophy.
Carrick Neill Scottish Men's Open Championship, Western Gailes (Par 71)
T5 MULLIGAN, Thomas (Laytown & Bettystown) 67
T23 LESTER, Rowan (Hermitage) 71
T49 GALBRAITH, John-Ross (Whitehead) 73
T49 YATES, Jonathan (Naas) 73
T66 HOOD, Jordan (Galgorm Castle) 74
T79 CAMPBELL, Colm (Warrenpoint) 75
T92 FAIRWEATHER, Colin (Knock) 76
T122 O’ROURKE, Conor (Naas) 79
