Arthurs scorches to lead in East of Ireland Championship

Forrest Little's Eoin Arthurs took advantage of perfect early morning conditions to scorch to a six-under par 66 and a two stroke lead in the East of Ireland Amateur Championship at County Louth.

The 24-year-old from Swords fired two eagles, five birdies and just three bogeys on the fast-running links as the Castle's Dara Lernihan posted an afternoon 68 that featured an eagle two at the 454-yard first, his 10th.

Belvoir Park’s Harry Diamond finished with five straight birdies from the 14th to match Walker Cup star Jonny Caldwell with a 69 while the Curragh's Paul O'Hanlon had a hole-in-one with a six-iron at the 207-yard 17th, his eighth, en route to a two-under par 70 that was matched by Michael Buggy and Niall O'Connor.

Only 18 players broke par as the firm conditions and slick greens took their toll on the 156-man field.

All but three of those scores came in the morning but reigning Irish Close and West of Ireland champion Shane Lowry failed to take advantage, carding a level par 72.

East of Ireland Amateur Open, Co Louth (Par 72) Rd 1:

66 E Arthurs (Forrest Little)

68 D Lernihan (Castle)

69 H Diamond (Belvoir Park), J Caldwell (Clandeboye)

70 P O'Hanlon (Curragh), M Buggy (Castlecomer), N O'Connor (Elm Park)

71 A O'Callaghan (Douglas), C O'Malley (Westport), P Cutler (Portstewart), R Forsythe (Ballyclare), S Crowe (Dunmurry), K Bornemann (Douglas), N Kearney (Royal Dublin), C Doran (Banbridge), R McCarthy (The Island), S Gannon (Co. Louth), G O'Flaherty (Cork)

72 P McGrath (Lahinch), A Dowling (Hermitage), S Lowry (Esker Hills), D Downie (Sutton), F Rafferty (Dungannon)

73 P Buckley (Kanturk), G Lawlor (Citywest), S Ward (Co Louth), E Kennedy (Rosapenna), E Marsden (Tullamore/NUIG), B Cashman (Belvoir Park), M Brett (Portmarnock), M Mullen (Wexford), G Kelly (Co Louth), R Boal (Castle), N Grant (Knock), G Bohill (Co Louth)

74 M Poucher (Limerick), D McInerney (Lahinch), J Fox (Portmarnock), J Waldron (Muskerry), C Cunningham (Carton House), N Goulding (Portmarnock), N Beirth (Co Louth), A McCloy (Ballymena), D Sutton (Lockerbie), B O'Connor (Hermitage), C Curley (Newlands), J Patterson (Knock), D Morgan (Mullingar), S Smyth (County Louth), K Canty (Douglas) 75 D Carroll (Grange), S Webster (Castle), M Shanahan (West Waterford), S Dwyer (Newlands), J Carvill (Warrenpoint), D Hogan (Killeen), A McCormick (Scrabo), M Sinclair (Knock), D Lewis (Woodbrook), B Walton (Island/NUIM), K Crowley (Lee Valley), D Crowe (Dunmurry), D Cantrell (Woodbrook), R Kenny (Woodlands), D Coyle (Co.

Louth), G McDermott (Co. Sligo), G Dunne (Seapoint), A McGrath (Greenore)

76 J McGinn (L & B), D O'Brien (L & B), D Ruddy (Thurles), J Lyons (Galway), D McCusker (Moyola Park), A Harty (West Waterford), W Kelly (Killeen), R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown), R McNamara (Headfort), B Keenan (The Heath), R Leonard (Banbridge), A Hogan (Newlands), E McAnoy (Knock), S Keelan (Douglas), A McAllister (Portmarnock), G Flynn (Delgany)

77 T O'Flynn (Fota Island), C Deegan (Castle), J Murray (Mourne), D Reilly (Westmanstown), E McCormack (Galway), C Brown (Royal Portrush), A Duffy (Royal Tara), E O'Sullivan (The Island), D King (Tramore), B Fennelly (Royal Dublin), M McGinley (Grange), A Kerr (Clandeboye), P Byrne (Killeen), R Weldon (Hermitage), J Mulready (Castle), D Coghlan (Royal Dublin)

78 B Reddan (Co. Louth), D Coyne (Galway), S Healy (Claremorris), K Lewis (Skerries), R Neville (Donabate), A Meharg (Scrabo), V Smyth (Co Louth), R Oliver (Carrickfergus/UU), D Joyce (Curragh), R Behan (St Anne's), P Murray (Limerick), R Bridges (Stackstown), D O'Donovan (Muskerry), N Gorey (Lee Valley), I Keane (Malahide), C Bowe (Tramore) 79 G Carew (Edenderry), M Hammond (Moyola Park), D Beattie (Whitehead), T Neenan (Lahinch), M Durcan (Co. Sligo), W McCully (Donaghadee), A Dooley (Glasson), S Barry (Lee Valley)

80 M Ryan (Grange), P McCabrey (Lurgan), S Loftus (Lahinch), C O'Connor (Athlone), D Lally (Tuam), M Welsh (Knock)

81 G Dillon (Heath), M Crowe (Elm Park), D Vaughan (Ardglass), D Finn (Mallow), J Owens (Bangor/UU), R Cannon (Laytown & Battystown), J Moore (Laytown & Bettystown)

82 K McDonagh (Athlone), R Branigan (Co Louth), T Cleary (Cork), G Donaghy (Island Country Club, Fla.), M O'Rourke (Royal Tara), K Shannon (Greenore), B Campbell (Malone), D Rawluk (The Island), G Hall (Edenderry), G Lenehan (Portmarnock)

83 D Leathem (Lisburn), D Glynn (Galway), J Hughes (Douglas)

84 D Simpson (Malone), D McNeill (Rosapenna)

85 B O'Malley (Royal Dublin), B O'Brien (Headfort), J Monaghan (The Island)

RT J Turner (Royal Portrush)