Swedish teen holds lead after first round in Rosses Point

Swedish raider Rikard Karlberg carded a sensational course record 65 to grab the first round lead in the West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point.

The 17-year-old from Gothenburg 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.

Fellow countryman Oskar Henningsson hit a three under par 68 in the afternoon to claim second place with Dunmurry’s Darren Crowe and Ballyliffin's Brendan McCarroll the best of the Irish in a share of third place on two under par.

But while Crowe had 16 pars and two birdies in his 69, McCarroll carded four birdies, four bogeys and an eagle three at the par five fifth hole.

Early morning fog delayed the start by 90 minutes but with no more than a mild breeze and soft ground conditions, nine players broke par.

West of Ireland Championship, Rosses Point

First Round qualifying

65 R Karlberg (Sweden)

68 O Henningsson (Sweden)

69 D Crowe (Dunmurry), B McCarroll (Ballyliffin)

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

71 H Diamond (Holywood), N Fox (Portmarnock), D Finn (Mallow), J Morris (Mullingar), P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin), R Boal (Scrabo)

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

73 R Leonard (Banbridge), E Kennedy (Strabane), J Moore (Laytown & Bettystown), D Kelleher (Portmarnock), K Bornemann (Douglas), J Sjoholm (Sweden), L Owens (Royal Dublin), R McIlroy (Holywood), M O'Kelly (Limerick), A O'Callaghan (Douglas), S McTernan (Co. Sligo), A McCormack (Scrabo), P McDonald (UCD/Woodbrook), D Briden (Waterford), J Blitx (Sweden), J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown)

74 B O'Connor (UCD/Hermitage), E McCartan (Greenore), M Campbell (Stackstown), F O'Donoghue (Belvoir Pk.), K McCarthy (Kinsale), M Shanahan (West Waterford), R Forsythe (Ballyclare), G Massey (Hermitage), G Bowden (Hermitage), R Maher (Nenagh), I Hall (Enniscrone), M Kemmy (Limerick), P Devine (The Island), D Morris (Limerick), G Carew (Edenderry), E McMenamin (Ballyboffey & Stranolar), D McDonnell (Monkstown), D Rawluk (The Island), C Waters (Athenry)

75 M Collins (Sutton), C McNamara (Limerick), K Crowley (Lee Valley), D Ford (Galway), J Mulready (Castle), B Kilgallon (Ballina), D Morgan (Mullingar), G Mallon (North West), E Haugh (Castletroy), G Hall (Edenderry), D Carroll (Grange)

76 E McAnoy (Knock), K O'Neill (Strandhill), P O'Hara (Killkenny), P Sheehan (Castletroy), A Morris (Belvoir Pk.), A Dowling (Hermitage), L Ryan (Stackstown), F Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown), L Butler (West Waterford), G McKevitt (Greenore), D McNamara (Connemara), R Luke (Wynyard (UK)), D Lally (Tuam), B Trainor (Warrenpoint), B Cashman (Belvoir Park), J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin), N Crawford (Mourne), P McCabrey (Lurgan), G Nugent (Kilkenny), S Loftus (Ennis), D Ryan (Grange), S Heavey (Co. Sligo)

77 T Ford (Co. Sligo), S McParland (Greenore), J Lyons (Galway), D Coyle (Co. Louth), C Martin (Nenagh), K Leahy (Mill Ride (UK)), D Keating (Dun Laoghaire), A McKinley (Shandon Park), B Loftus (Ennis), J Murray (Tipperary), T Spence (UU/Clandeboye), D Stapleton (Connemara), L McDevitt Jnr (USA)

78 T Walsh (Claremorris), S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy), 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), R Cannon (Balbriggan), P Morris (Douglas)

81 J Harding (City of Derry), S Proctor (Lisburn), D O'Brien (Laytown & Bettystown), L Hynes (Blainroe), M Rowe (Athlone)

82 R Guilfoyle (Kilkenny), L Gilligan (City West)

83 T Cummins (Lurgan), L Mulligan (Co. Longford), S Adamson (Royal Belfast)

85 G McGranaghan (Galway)

86 I Moore (Dunmurry)

NR M O'Brien (Heath), D Cook (Knock)

RTD R Gardiner (Crowborough (UK)