Czech champion leads Irish Amateur Open

Rory McIlroy lost his way on the back nine as Czech champion Marek Novy grabbed the first round lead in the AIB Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

The 18-year-old Holywood ace had scorched to four under par after just six holes at the renovated Dollymount links.

But he was disappointed to drop five shots in a six-hole spell on the back nine on his way to a one over par 73.

With wind and rain lashing the course, the event’s star attraction finished the day two shots adrift of 22-year-old Novy, who fired one under par 71 in the worst of the afternoon weather.

Walker Cup hopefuls Lloyd Saltman and Keir McNicoll of Scotland, Welshman Rhys Enoch and Finn Joonas Granberg share second place after level par 72s.

Ulstermen Johnny Caldwell and Richard Kilpatrick carded two over par rounds of 74 to remain in the hunt.

But McIlroy wsa disappointed to finish the day in a five-way tie for sixth place alongside the likes of US Amateur champion Richie Ramsay and Rosslare’s John Morris.

McIlroy said: "I played the front nine in four under when it was nice and calm. But on the back nine it got a little tougher and I lost my momentum. I hit a couple of loose shots and I paid the price for them but overall 73 is a pretty good score."

McIlroy fired a sand wedge to three feet at the first and then rifled a seven-iron to 15 feet to set up an eagle at the second when the weather was relatively benign.

A 70 yard bunker shot to eight feet helped him birdie the par-five sixth and put him top of the leaderboard but he bogeyed the 11th and 12th, double bogeyed the 13th and dropped another shot on the 16th to finish the day two off the lead.

McIlroy added: "I haven't played myself out of it. It's been an okay first day but hopefully I can improve on it tomorrow. It's just a normal links course. I think if it was calm you could rip it up."

AIB IRISH AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Royal Dublin

First round

71 M Novy (Czech Republic)

72 R Enoch (Wales), J Granberg (Finland), L Saltman (Scotland), K McNicoll (Scotland)

73 R Zwahlen (France), K McAlpine (Scotland), J Morris (Rosslare), R Ramsay (Scotland), R McIlroy (Holywood)

74 L Lennox (Moyola Park), R McCarthy (The Island), N Edwards (Wales), P Figueiredo (Portugal), R Bechu (France), R Kilpatrick (Banbridge), J Caldwell (Clandeboye), B Walton (The Island/UCD), P O'Hara (Scotland), C Geraghty (England), S McAllister (Scotland), G Campbell (Scotland), C Doran (Banbridge) 75 N Grant (Knock), P Cutler (Portstewart), K Le Sager (France), R Thuillier (France), B Fotheringham (Scotland), P Murray (Limerick), R McKnight (Scotland)

76 C Macaulay (Scotland), S Henry (Scotland), G Cambis (France), Z Gould (Wales), B Evans (England), X Poncelet (France), E Richardson (England), Z Saltman (Scotland), M Veijalainen (Finland), B Grace (South Africa), L Allen (England), A McCloy (Ballymena)

77 R Thomas (Wales), A Hogan (Newlands/UCD), D Leathem (Lisburn), A Rosado (Portugal), R Cannon (L'town & B'town), J Carvill (Warrenpoint), J Savolampi (Finland), A Ross (Canada), G Lawlor (Citywest), J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown), M Gaynor (U.S.A.), P McLean (Scotland), N Kearney (Royal Dublin), B Westgate (England) 78 G O'Neill (Jersey), E O'Sullivan (The Island), M Armitage (England), A Runcie (Wales), M Sinclair (Knock), R McNamara (Headfort), T Ortner (Austria), S Ward (Co Louth), D Lernihan (Castle/UCD), J Lyons (Galway)

79 B Norton (U.S.A.), S McEwan (Scotland), S Doherty (Malone), J Smedley (England), E McAnoy (Knock), J Pernaa (Finland), S Lowry (UCD/Esker Hills), J Guillet (France), M Thistleton (England), D Morgan (Mullingar), W Rieder (Austria)

80 C Cousins (Wales), S Kindsted (Finland), N Henriques (Portugal), B Jones (England), J Haglund (Finland), M McCoy (U.S.A.), E O'Connell (The Fox Club), L Matthews (Wales), R Kellett (Scotland), C Vance (England)

81 M O'Sullivan (Stow Acres), R Leonard (Banbridge), S Archibald (England), T Sistonen (Finland), G Carew (Edenderry), E Mercadier (France), M Barbosa (U.S.A.), J Dale (England), T Halpen (Canada) 82 S O'Brien (U.S.A.), M Salminen (Finland), S Grant (Birr), P Nelson (South Africa), P O'Hanlon (Curragh)

83 N Catesson (France), J Vickery (Wales), E Saxel (England), N Kirchner (Austria), C Mivis (Belgium)

84 K Hammer (U.S.A.), R Boal (Scrabo)

85 A Gabella Wenne (Sweden), B Kosmin (France)

86 C Scotto (France), A Fadel (U.S.A.), W McCully (Donaghadee) 87 T Wyatt (U.S.A.) 88 T McGowan (Strandhill), N Tyry (Finland) 89 J Shufflebotham (Wales), R Merchant (Wales) 90 C Levitte (France) 93 R Maunder (England)