Swedish teen leads West of Ireland championship

Swedish teenager Rikard Karlberg carded a course record 65 to take the clubhouse lead in the West of Ireland championship at Rosses Point today.

The 17 year old from Goteborg hit seven birdies and just one bogey in his six under par round to shave a shot off the previous best held jointly by Stuart Paul, John Harding and fellow Swede Steven Jeppesen.

Karlberg said “I played here last year but I didn’t play well at all and failed to qualify. But I know the course pretty well now and how you should play it.

“The wind is different to last year but the course is playing much easier and the greens are softer. It’s only qualifying but it’s still nice to shoot a good score.”

Fellow countryman Oskar Henningsson hit a three under par 68 in the afternoon to claim second place with Dunmurry's Darren Crowe a shot further back on 69.

Early morning fog delayed the start by 90 minutes and several threeballs will have to complete their first rounds tomorrow morning.

Stephen Moloney, Eoin O’Sullivan, Dwane Twomey, Melvyn Flanagan and Johnny Foster were the next best of the Irish on one under par 70

The leading 64 players after 36 holes qualify for the first round of matchplay on Sunday.

First round scores (6.45 pm)

65 R Karlberg (Sweden)

68 O Henningsson (Sweden)

69 D Crowe (Dunmurry)

70 S Moloney (Castletroy), M Flanagan (Co. Longford), E O'Sullivan (The Island), D Twomey (Muskerry), J Foster (Ballyclare)

71 N Fox (Portmarnock), D Finn (Mallow), P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin), R Boal (Scrabo)

72 A Wynne (Strandhill), N Turner (UCC/Muskerry), C O'Malley (Westport), R Evans (Moyola Park), C Doran (Banbridge), M Sinclair (Knock), J Barton (Ballinasloe), C McAleavey (Banbridge), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), P Murray (Limerick), M O'Sullivan (Galway), B McElhinney (North West)

73 D Kelleher (Portmarnock), K Bornemann (Douglas), J Sjoholm (Sweden), R McIlroy (Holywood), M O'Kelly (Limerick), A O'Callaghan (Douglas), S McTernan (Co. Sligo), D Briden (Waterford), J Blitx (Sweden), J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown)

74 B O'Connor (UCD/Hermitage), F O'Donoghue (Belvoir Pk.), M Shanahan (West Waterford), R Forsythe (Ballyclare), R Maher (Nenagh), M Kemmy (Limerick), P Devine (The Island), G Carew (Edenderry), E McMenamin (Ballyboffey & Stranolar), D Rawluk (The Island), C Waters (Athenry)

75 K Crowley (Lee Valley), D Ford (Galway), B Kilgallon (Ballina), G Mallon (North West), G Hall (Edenderry), D Carroll (Grange)

76 K O'Neill (Strandhill), P O'Hara (Killkenny), L Ryan (Stackstown), L Butler (West Waterford), G McKevitt (Greenore), D McNamara (Connemara), D Lally (Tuam), B Trainor (Warrenpoint), B Cashman (Belvoir Park), J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin), N Crawford (Mourne), P McCabrey (Lurgan), G Nugent (Kilkenny), D Ryan (Grange), S Heavey (Co. Sligo)

77 S McParland (Greenore), C Martin (Nenagh), K Leahy (Mill Ride (UK)), A McKinley (Shandon Park), B Loftus (Ennis), D Stapleton (Connemara), L McDevitt Jnr (USA)

78 T Walsh (Claremorris), M Horan (Birr), R Twomey (UCC/Muskerry), J Hughes (Douglas)

79 M McEneff (St.Annes), S Paul (Tandragee), B O'Neill (Waterford), P Killeen (Claremorris), R Duggan (Kilkenny), N McGrane (Royal Dublin), D Palm (Sweden)

80 M Hoey (Lurgan), O Herrlin (Sweden), P Morris (Douglas)

81 D O'Brien (Laytown & Bettystown), L Hynes (Blainroe), M Rowe (Athlone)

82 L Gilligan (City West)

83 L Mulligan (Co. Longford)

86 I Moore (Dunmurry)

NR M O'Brien (Heath)