Grehan leads ‘Close’ by three after nine-birdie 65 at Westport

Stuart Grehan made nine birdies in an eight under 63 to take a three-stroke lead after the opening round of the AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at Westport.

The reigning Irish Amateur Open champion birdied the first four holes and added further birdies at the seventh, ninth, 10th, 15th and 18th with his lone bogey coming at the eighth.

Tralee’s Mark Gazi made six birdies in a 68 to sit alone in second while West of Ireland champion Dylan Holmes was in a eight-way tie for third on three under.

Defending champion Thomas Abom shot 71 to share 11th on a day when 21 players broke par.

AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close, Westport GC (Pat 73)

After 18 holes

65 - 1: Stuart Grehan (Co. Louth)

68 - 2: Mark Gazi (Tralee)

70 - T3: Dylan Holmes (Greystones), Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin), Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Paddy Quill (Cork), Cian Harkin (Letterkenny), Jack Murphy (Douglas), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye)

71 - T11: Keith Egan (Carton House), Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle), TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown)

72 - T15: John William Burke (Ballyhaunis), Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn), Ross Latimer (Knock), Ben Cahill (Dundalk), Quentin Carew (Castleknock), Eoin Magill (East Clare), Darragh Flynn (Carton House)

73 - T22: Conor Stapleton (Westport), David Kitt (Athenry), Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Alex Kerins (Carton House), Jake Foley (Elm Park), Ryan Corrigan (Castlebar), Kyle McCarron (North West), Barry O'Connell (Douglas)

74 - T31: Louis Goodman (Co. Louth), Calum Ward (Carton House), Adam Talbot (Carton House), Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet), Evan Hogg (Belvoir Park), Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), Conor Hickey (Dooks), Rafael Poli (Holywood), Samuel Gammell (Naas), Patrick Tuffy (Strandhill), David Shiel (Enniscrone), Evan Farrell (Co. Louth), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint)

75 - T44: David Howard (Fota Island), David Reddan (Castleknock), Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore), Patrick Burke (Foxrock), Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin), Steven Gormley (Blainroe), Eoin Burrows (Belvoir Park), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Conor McCarthy (Headfort)

76 - T55: James O'Rourke (Naas), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Luke O'Neill (Connemara), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock), Lucas Lyons (Limerick), Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone), Sean Reddy (Douglas), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House), Barry McMenamin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), Robert Galligan (Elm Park), Aodhagan Brady (Co. Sligo), Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay)

77 - T67: Andrew Gavin (Black Bush), Mark McKenna (Dun Laoghaire), Seán Cloonan (Dunmore Demense), Dylan Keating (Seapoint), James Walsh (Douglas), Adam Challoner (Galway Bay), Jamie Larkin (Palmerstown House), Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown), Fergal Coyle (Athenry), Graham Callaghan (Co. Louth), Morgan O'Sullivan (Ballyneety), Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Mark Doyle (Westmanstown), Tom Glennon (Kilkenny), Sean Rooney (Fortwilliam)

78 - T82: Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), Finn Jolly (Dun Laoghaire), David O'Malley (Black Bush), Barry O'Neill (Tramore)

79 - T86: Brian Lane (Muskerry), Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay), Seán McLoughlin (Co. Sligo), William Josh Nicholl (Galgorm Castle), David Joyce (Powerscourt), Harley Phipps (Co. Louth), William Walshe (Delgany), David Brady (Straffan)

80 - T94: Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay), Neil Patterson (Baltinglass), Thomas Plunkett (Crover House), Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park), Tadhg Burns (Headfort), Johnny Napier (Scrabo)

81 - T101: Sean Murphy (Grange), Cathal Gallagher (Gweedore), Danny Lyne (Lahinch), Evan Maher (Mountrath), Jonathan Hayden (Royal Dublin), Donnacha Cleary (Tipperary)

82 - T107: Freddie Bracken (Portmarnock), Kevin Barry (Castlebar), Sean Cooper (Enniscorthy)

83 - T110: Sean Downes (Royal Dublin), Finlay Eager (Royal Belfast), Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), Eoin Lisibach (Goyer), Diarmuid Harrington (Doneraile), Michael Joyce (Mulranny)

84 - 116: Jamie Anderson (Greystones)

91 - 117: James Fenlon (Bunclody)

WD: Ryan Lyons (Blarney), James Fox (Portmarnock), David Lally (Blainroe)

NS: Mike Kelly (Naas), Ryan Murray (Balmoral), David Marshall (Naas)