Amateurs face tough condition at Royal Dublin

Gale force winds sent scores soaring in the opening round of the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

Ireland's James Fox and Niall Kearney are just one stroke behind pace setter Farren Keenan of England on three-over-par.

Keenan, 24, hit a two-over-par 74 after southwest winds gusting over 40 mph forced officials to suspend play for 80 minutes early in the morning.

Royal Dublin man Kearney and Portmarnock's Fox are tied for second place with Finland's Miro Veijalainen after rounds of 75, but leading Walker Cup contender Shane Lowry crashed to a seven-over-par 79.

“It's a bit of a joke out there,” said Lowry, who had one birdie and eight bogeys. “It is not really golf. I thought there should have been a couple more tees up. It was borderline (playable).”

Irish Amateur Open Championship (sponsored by AIB), Royal Dublin, Par 72

First round:

74: F Keenan (England)

75: J Fox (Portmarnock), N Kearney (The Royal Dublin), M Veijalainen

(Finland)

76: W Booth (Scotland), P Betty (Scotland)

77: R McCarthy (The Island), R Leonard (Banbridge), T Hakula (Finland), G Dear (Scotland)

78: B Anderson (Co. Sligo), S Moloney (Castletroy), D Whitnell (England), P Westermann (Germany), D Lernihan (Castle), P Cutler (Portstewart), J Monaghan (The Island), N Grant (Knock), R Laino (England), A Runcie (Wales), S Hutsby (England)

79: L Brady (The Royal Dublin), D Ruddy (Thurles), K McNicoll (Scotland), S Lowry (Esker Hills), M Cunningham (Scotland), T Pulkkanen (Finland), P Purdy (Shandon Park), M Thistleton (England), M Bookless (Scotland), R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown), R Prophet (England), B Walton (The Island), R McNamara (Headfort)

80: R Kellett (Scotland), H Satama (Finland), A Dunbar (Rathmore), G Paterson (Scotland), S Borrowman (Scotland), T Beaumont (England), R Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown), J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown), M Durcan (Co. Sligo), J Ross (Scotland), G Dillon (The Heath), S Hodgson (England), A Hogan (Newlands)

81: S McEwan (Scotland), P Croonquist (USA), M Rivard (Canada), E Arthurs (Forrest Little), M Buggy (Castlecomer), T O' Flynn (Fota Island), C Curley (Newlands), C Doran (Banbridge), L Goddard (England)

82: C Drumm (Rosslare), J Carlota (Portugal), S Einhaus (Germany), G McDermott (Co. Sligo), C Wilson (USA), P Shields (Scotland), I Brennan (Greenore), C Durnian (England), T Dogil (Germany), M Hammond (Moyola Park), G McGrane (The Royal Dublin), J Morris (Rosslare), L Lennox (Moyola Park), D Morgan (Mullingar), P McLean (Scotland), M Glauert (Germany), S Brown (England), G McGee (Malone), D Murphy (Portarlington), B Reiter (Austria), G Lawlor (Newbridge)

83: C O'Malley (Westport), C Thomson (Scotland), D O'Donovan (Muskerry), R Bridges (Stackstown), A Kirstein (Germany), C Robb (Scotland), D Coyle (Co. Louth), J Haglund (Finland), O Mikkola

(Finland)

84: P Dunne (Greystones), P Murray (Limerick), T McGowan (Strandhill), S Binning (Scotland), G Yates (Scotland), H Bacher (Austria), K McDonagh (Athlone), T Fay (Rush)

85: M Brett (Portmarnock), M Violas (Portugal), P Figueiredo (Portugal), M Downes (England), P O'Hara (Scotland), E Kennedy (England)

86: R McGee (Ireland), O Sharpe (England), B Campbell (Malone), S Wolters (Germany), T Rodrigues (Portugal), M Reardon (USA), G O'Connor- Brooks (USA)

87: J Jóia (Portugal), K Samooja (Finland)

88: J Hendrick (Scotland), A Llorente (Colombia), G Dunne (Seapoint), R Cronheim (USA), A Dooley (Glasson)

89: K Nicol (Scotland), M Aurnhammer (Germany), F Illouz (France)

90: G Perne (Slovenia), C Schroder (Germany)

91: N Woods (East Clare).