Gavin Moynihan drives at the 14th en route to victory in the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin. Picture by Pat CashmanIrish golf witnessed a changing of the guard at a windswept Royal Dublin yesterday when 17-year old schoolboy Gavin Moynihan of The Island closed with rounds of 76 and 75 to win the Irish Amateur Open by a stroke.

The Island’s Gavin Moynihan is just a shot off the lead with two rounds of play. Picture by Pat Cashman. Belvoir Park’s Harry Diamond can get one over on best pal and world No 1 Rory McIlroy if he wins the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin on Sunday.

The 27-year old reigning West of Ireland champion carded five birdies in a joint best of the day 70 to take a one stoke lead into the final 36 holes of a tournament that McIlroy never managed to win.

Kelan McDonagh was pleased with his 72 at Royal Dublin. Picture by Pat Cashman/GUIKelan McDonagh confessed that golf has been put firmly in perspective by his girlfriend’s brave battle with cancer after he opened with a grinding 72 to keep the leaders in his sights in the Irish Amateur Open at a weather-challenged Royal Dublin.

France and the Netherlands were the big winners as Ireland finished fifth in both the team and individual competitions in the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande.

Just 68 players in the elite 120-man field broke 80 and only one broke par as high winds and a relentless course set up led to carnage on the opening day of the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

A stiff south-east breeze, gusting well over 30 mph from late morning, whipped across the course for the rest of the day as scores soared into the 90s.

Holland’s Robin Kind might have learnt the game on a Harry Colt designed links course but while he didn’t feel quite at home he was still the only man to finish in red figures. But even that required him to hole out from 87 yards for an eagle two at the 16th and then get up and down for par at the last two holes.