Defending champion Paul O’Hanlon left frustrated by Baltray’s bunkers

Defending champion Paul O’Hanlon fell victim to Baltray’s bunkers as he let a sensational start slip away and opened with a one-under 71 in the East of Ireland Amateur Open at County Louth.

With Portmarnock’s Jack Pierse, Esker Hills’ Alan Lowry, Laytown and Bettystown’s David Foy, and Dun Laoghaire’s Colin Woodroofe setting the clubhouse target with three-under 69s in the morning wave, former professional O’Hanlon got off to a red-hot start, only to end the day two shots off the pace.

The 32-year-old from Carton House, a wire-to-wire winner on his return to the amateur ranks last year, started with four successive birdies before getting five under par with another at the par-five sixth.