Madden leads East of Ireland with impressive 67 at blustery Baltray

 Tramore’s Jack Hearn just four back after closing eagle three

Royal Portrush’s Jack Madden shot a five-under 67 to lead the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at County Louth, Baltray. Picture: Thos Caffrey/Golffile

Royal Portrush's Jack Madden overcame a difficult northeast wind gusting over 25 mph and made two eagles in a five-under 67 to take a two-shot lead after the opening round to the D Hotel-sponsored East of Ireland Championship at County Louth.

With the Championship back after a three-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the pristine Baltray links proved the big winner on the day with the 132-man field averaging 76.58.

Just 13 players broke par with 22-year old former Ulster Boys interprovincial Madden at the head of affairs after his morning round. The Dungannon native has just completed his Junior year at Arkansas State University, and he was understandably delighted with his score. "I played nicely all day, my short game was sharp, and my speed putting was on," he said. "I had my good friend Jack Kane as caddie, committed to my shots and really enjoyed the round with my playing partners."

He started with a bogey at the 10th but birdied the short 15th and eagled the downwind 18th after a seven iron to 20 feet to turn in 33. He then picked up another eagle three at the second, running in a hybrid to five feet, before picking up another shot at the par-three fourth. He leads by two strokes from Belvoir Park's Darcy Hogg, who was two-over after eight holes but played his final 10 holes in five-under, picking up birdies at the 18th, second, third, fifth and ninth.

Scotland's Sean Hedger, Athenry's Sean O'Connell and former South and West of Ireland champion Caolan Rafferty from Dundalk are tied for third after two-under-par 70s.

The northeast wind makes Baltray a difficult as the par-three all play downwind while many of the longer and more difficult par-fours are played into the wind or with a testing cross-breeze.

Eight players are tied for sixth after one-under 71s, including Tramore's Jack Hearn, who won the Ulster Men's Stroke Play title at Belvoir Park on Monday, and former West of Ireland winner Robert Brazill, who was runner-up in Belfast.

University of South Alabama player Hearn birdied the first three holes but then dropped five shots in five holes from the eighth before following a birdie two from seven feet at the downwind 15th with an eagle three from 60 feet at the par-five 18th after hitting an eight-iron to the front edge.

After Sunday's second round, the top 42 and ties will qualify for the final 36 holes on Bank Holiday Monday.

East of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by the D Hotel, County Louth GC (Par 72) First round:

67 J Madden (Royal Portrush); 69 D Hogg (Belvoir Park); 70 S Hedger (West Kilbride), S O'Connell (Athenry), C Rafferty (Dundalk); 71 J Hearn (Tramore), S McGlynn (Portmarnock), P Connolly (The Links Portmarnock), G Collins (Rosslare), A Smith (Mullingar), A Hill (Roscommon), J Hood (Galgorm Castle), R Brazill (Naas); 72 R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), J Butler (Killeen), E Farrell (Ardee), G Callaghan (Co. Louth), J Whelan (Grange), L O'Neill (Connemara), C Hickey (Dooks), M Kennedy (Royal Dublin); 73 J Fox (Portmarnock), J Doherty (Carton House), C MacCanna (Carton House), G Dunne (Co. Louth); 74 P O Dochartaigh (Gweedore), S Walker (Roscommon), M McKinstry (Cairndhu), R Carvill (Warrenpoint), G Lenehan (Portmarnock), L Abom (Edmondstown), S Jones (Belvoir Park), L Lynch (Naas), J Mc Donnell (Forrest Little), A Hickey (Ballyhaunis), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), M Shiel (Galway Bay), S Ward (Belvoir Park); 75 A McCann (Co. Louth), M Deasy (Douglas), C Tracey (Co. Louth), C Harkin (Letterkenny), C Moulds (Lisburn), B Ronan (Co. Louth), K Murphy (Arklow), J Claridge (Enville), J O'Leary (Golf Club at Terra Lago), G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock), C Denvir (Elm Park Golf & Sports Club), H Gillivan (Westport), G Tiernan (Co. Louth), A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown), D Flynn (Carton House), A Mulholland (Castlerock), C Campbell (Warrenpoint), R Knightly (Royal Dublin), D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), R Latimer (Clandeboye); 76 C Ryan (Bray), P Buckley (Cork), J Boles (Charleville), A Grant (Dundalk), J Hewitt (Tandragee), S Flanagan (Portmarnock), P O'Hanlon (Carton House), C Byrne (Woodbrook), J Hyland (Omagh), C Byrne (Strabane), M O'Sullivan (Laytown & Bettystown); 77 E Sullivan (Carton House), A Doran (Co. Louth), M Feenan (Mourne), Q Carew (Castleknock), E Murphy (Dundalk), M Cain (Cork), I O'Rourke (Cork), I O'Connell (Castleknock), C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), A Dooley (Carton House), R Hynes (Royal Dublin), S Desmond (Monkstown), A Claridge; (Enville), R Williamson (Holywood), D Keating (Seapoint), F Dobbin (Malone) 78 G Bohill (Co. Louth), M Grehan (Tullamore), J Hanney (The Island), K Patton (Lisburn), R Cannon (Balbriggan), W Beatty (Greenacres), J Byrne (Baltinglass), A Brady (Co. Sligo), J Lyons (Galway), L Curran (Castleknock); 79 J Blake (The Island), R McNelis (Fintona), J Pierse (Portmarnock), D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh), S Mc Dermott (Slieve Russell), A Marshall (Lisburn), J O'Neill (Tralee), S McLoughlin (Co. Sligo), S Miskelly (Knock), S O'Connor (Castlebar), T Dowdall (Woodbrook); 80 D Marshall (Naas), C O'Connor (Corrstown), J Kelly (Ardee), C Clarke (Balmoral), M O Sullivan (Ballyneety), S Carroll (Ballybunion), R Kennelly (Castleknock); 81 R McCrory (Lurgan), M Nolan (Dun Laoghaire), J Murphy (Dundalk) 82 J Rowe (Belvoir Park), K Connolly (Donegal), D O'Riordan (Fermoy), C Cassidy (Tullamore); 83 C Dullaghan (Greenore), D Murray (Co. Louth), M McKenna (Dun Laoghaire); 84 D Shiel (Powerscourt), C Dean (Dun Laoghaire), S Whelan (Royal Tara); 85 C Rabbette (Esker Hills), S O'Rourke (Tulfarris), E Lisibach (Glasgow) 91 A Cassells (Tandragee); RTD H Duggan (Kilkenny); AJ McCabe 84 (The Links Portmarnock).