Defending champion Shane Lowry is nine shots off the pace after the first qualifying round of the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Co Sligo.

The Esker Hills international carded a five-over par 76 at the Rosses Point course as  Baltray’s Gareth Bohill cracked a four under par 67 to lead by a shot from Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney.

Rathmore’s Alan Dunbar is third after a 69 with last year’s beaten finalist, Mullingar’s Dessie Morgan, tied for fourth place on one-under with Michael Sinclair, international Cian Curley and Mallow’s David Finn.

2009 West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship 

Round 1 (Par 71 & CSS 73)

67 G Bohill (Co Louth)

68 N Kearney (Royal Dublin)

69 A Dunbar (Rathmore)

70 D Morgan (Mullingar), M Sinclair (Knock), D Finn (Mallow), C Curley (Newlands)

71 B Anderson (Co Sligo), P Murray (Limerick), J Miller (Gullane ( Sco, UK)), J Hurst (Shawhill ( Eng, UK)), N Gorey ( Lee Valley), S Loftus (Lahinch)

72 E Arthurs (Forrest Little), E O'Sullivan (The Island), S Brady (Co Sligo), L Lennox (Moyola Park), S Crowe (Dunmurry)

73 D Corsby (Royal Lytham (Eng, UK)), D Glynn (Galway), D Kelleher (Portmarnock), S O'Hara (Co Sligo), J Carlota (Vilamoura (Portugal)), A Wynne (Strandhill), M Hearn (Chorley (Eng, UK)), I Brennan (Greenore), A Morris (Belvoir Park), E Maguire (Seapoint), A Palmer (Chorley (Eng, UK)), R Evans (Moyola Park), D Crowe (Dunmurry), N Grant (Knock), J Monaghan (The Island), A Harty (West Waterford), D Carroll (Grange)

74 M Kemmy (Limerick), D Murphy (Portarlington), A Duffy (Royal Tara), G Lawlor (Newbridge), G O'Connor (Malahide), R Cannon (L'Town & B'Town), M Brett (Portmarnock), J Mulready (Castle), G Kelly (Co Louth / UCD), B Daly (Edmondstown), J Tobin (Carrick-on-Suir), J McGinn (L'Town & B'Town), J Patterson (Knock), E O'Connor (Ballybunion), W Kelly (Killeen), K McDonagh (Athlone/NUIM)

75 D O'Brien (L'Town & B'Town), T O'Flynn (Fota Island), T McGowan (Strandhill), C Martin (Kilkenny), G Carew (Edenderry), R Leonard (Banbridge), C Keightley (East Clare), R Weldon (Hermitage), S Morrison (City of Derry)

76 D McCusker (Moyola Park), C O'Connor (Athlone), J Gourley (Holywood), T O'Connor (Athlone), C Drumm (Rosslare/NUIM), G McDermott (Co Sligo), D O'Donovan (Muskerry), M Shanahan (West Waterford), D Coyle (Co Louth), B Reddan (Co Louth), R McNamara (Headfort), A Lynch (Bray), R Walsh (Kilkenny), A Condren (Greystones), S Lowry (Esker Hills), M Kingston (Bantry Bay) 

77 S Barry (Lee Valley), R O'Donovan (Lucan), G Dunne (Seapoint), D Scully (Galway), M Poucher (Limerick), S McConnell (Ballyclare), A Hogan (Newlands), D Sutton (Lurgan), D Vaughan (Ardglass)

78 D Coyne (Galway), S O'Connor (Skerries), C Boggan (Co Meath), J Hannan (Carton House), B Best (Rathmore), J Hughes (Douglas), R Bridges (Stackstown/NUIM), E McCormack (Galway), F O'Hagan (Edenmore), A Dowling (Hermitage), L Reilly (Galgorm Castle), C Selfridge (Moyola Park), T McClements (Holywood), P Sheehy (Lahinch), D McInerney (Lahinch), G Dillon (Heath), K Cunnane (Woodstock), I Kettyle (Rathmore), S Dwyer (Newlands), G Flynn (Delgany), A Dooley (Glasson), T Cleary (East Clare)

79 K Stack (Dungarvan/UCC), A Harrington ( Cork), P McGrath (Dromoland), B Cashman ( Belvoir Park)

80 C Doran (Banbridge), D Nolan (Delgany), D Lally (Tuam), J Stevenson (Royal Portrush), R Durnin (L'Town & B'Town)

81 N Woods (East Clare), S Webster (Castle), E Dolan (Woodbrook), D Beattie (Whitehead), L Brady (Royal Dublin), J Lyons (Galway), G McGrane (Royal Dublin), K Connolly (Portarlington), S Heavey (Co Sligo)

82 M Durcan (Co Sligo), M Hammond ( Moyola Park), D Ruddy (Thurles), G Hamill (Ardglass)

83 D McNeill (Rossapenna)

84 K Kennedy (Thurles), L Mulligan (Stackstown), C McKenna (Mallow), D Hogan (Killeen)

85 J Ward (Westmanstown), R Oliver (Carrickfergus/UUJ)

86 M Welsh (Knock)

88 B Campbell (Malone)

89 N Boyd (Donaghadee)

NR A Kearney (Castlerock), R Maher (Nenagh), P Killeen (Claremorris)

DQ B Walton (The Island)