Thomas Higgins fired a four-under 68 to help Ireland make a strong start to the European Amateur Team Championships.

Max Kennedy brilliantly birdied his last three holes to shoot a five-under 67 and share the lead with his Royal Dublin clubmate Jack McDonnell heading into this afternoon’s final round of the Kingspan-sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Open at Baltray.

Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell loves Baltray and it showed on the opening day of the Kingspan East of Ireland Championship when he made six birdies in a six-under 66 to grab the early lead at County Louth.

Bookies' favourite Alex Maguire became the first player for 30 years to successfully defend the East of Ireland Amateur Championship when he beat Dundalk's Carolan Rafferty and Portumna's Sam Maguire in a three-hole aggregate playoff at a sun-splashed County Louth.

Wales’ Tomi Bowen will take a four-shot lead into the final round of the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship after carding a record-breaking 10-under 62 at The Island Golf Club on a day which saw the amateur course record broken on three occasions.

He’ll likely have to win more than one championship but former Walker Cup player Caolan Rafferty will be looking to give the R&A selectors some food for thought in his limited starts this summer after snatching the halfway lead in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at The Island.

Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty leads the home challenge after the opening round of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at The Island.

Caolan Rafferty won the Dundalk Scratch sponsored by One Finance for the fourth time since 2016.

Douglas’s Peter O’Keeffe and Laytown and Bettystown’s Alex Maguire kept their feet on the ground after battling their way into the quarter-finals of the Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Kilkenny’s Mark Power will face fellow Irishman Alex Maguire for a place in the last 16 of the Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Alex Maguire became the first Laytown and Bettystown member to win the East of Ireland Amateur Open in 41 years when he came from 10 shots behind at halfway to win by two shots on eight-under-par.

Naas’ Robert Brazill will be bidding to complete a remarkable comeback from injury and falling out of love with the game when he takes a one-stroke lead into this afternoon’s final round of The D Hotel-sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Open at County Louth.

A cold east wind gusting over 20 mph proved no impediment to Scotland’s Shaun Hedger as he carded a best-of-the-day five-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead into the final 36 holes of The D Hotel sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Open at County Louth.

Royal Portrush's Jack Madden overcame a difficult northeast wind gusting over 25 mph and made two eagles in a five-under 67 to take a two-shot lead after the opening round to the D Hotel-sponsored East of Ireland Championship at County Louth.

Castle’s Robert Moran emerged from a 105-minute fog delay to lead the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open into the final day but a host of potential champions also showed their faces on moving day at The Island.

Connacht won the men's interprovincials last year and the depth in talent west of the Shannon was very much in evidence at Rosses Point yesterday as three men from the west battled their way into the semi-finals of the Connolly's Audi West of Ireland Championship.

Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty topped the qualifiers in the Connolly’s Audi West of Ireland Championship but the jury is out on the new format for the opening amateur major of the season.

Rosses Point bared its fangs as a southerly wind gusting over 30 mph at times sent scores soaring in the second qualifying round for the Connolly's Audi West of Ireland Amateur Open at County Sligo.

Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty proved the old adage that form is fleeting but class is permanent when he took advantage of excellent first-round conditions to open with a six-under 65 in the Connolly's Audi sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Championship at County Sligo's Rosses Point Links.

Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty captured the Laytown and Bettystown Senior Scratch Cup for the third time since 2013 when he beat Portmarnock Links’ AJ McCabe with a birdie at the fourth playoff hole.

The West of Ireland Championship is just over four weeks away and golfers looking to hone their games for the opening amateur “major” will have a chance to prepare by teeing it up on links terrain in the 36-hole Laytown and Bettystown Senior Scratch Cup on Sunday, March 27.

Ireland produced an incredible singles comeback to tie 7.5-7.5 with England and claim the men’s Home Internationals for the fifth time in seven editions at Hankley Common in Surrey.

International debutants Alex Maguire, Jack McDonnell, TJ Ford and Liam Nolan picked up points as Ireland opened the Men's Home Internationals with an 8.5-6.5 win over Scotland at Hankley Common in Surrey.