Gales ruin Amateur opener

LIMERICK’S Pat Murray slammed conditions as unplayable with high winds sending scores soaring in the opening round of the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

Gale force winds gusting over 40 mph forced officials to suspend play for 80 minutes at 8.40am, just over an hour after the start of play, as they feared that balls would soon start moving on the more exposed greens. Yet flags were still being blown out of holes as the morning wore on.

Needing a par at the last for an 80 that would have left him just six shots adrift of England international Farren Keenan, Murray lost a ball off the tee at the 18th and hit another out of bounds to finish with a quadruple bogey eight for an 84.