McDonnell hits route 66 to lead East of Ireland at Baltray

“Even though I didn’t clean up in the par-fives, I played well,” said McDonnell.

Jack McDonnell took the first-round lead in the East of Ireland Amateur Open.

Royal Dublin’s Jack McDonnell continued his love affair with Baltray when he fired a superb six-under 66 to claim the first-round lead in the Kingspan-sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Open.

While he’s still a Forrest Little stalwart, the Dubliner (29) was thrilled to accept membership of the Bull Island club this year and the extra links experience paid off in perfect conditions at County Louth, where he made six birdies to lead by a shot from Portmarnock’s Geoff Lenehan and Roscommon’s Simon Walker and by two from his Royal Dublin clubman Max Kennedy with Blainroe’s David Lally.