Hume hits 65 on the Valley as North begins with 303 hopefuls

Royal Portrush. Picture by Pat Cashman

Rathsallagh’s Jack Hume fired a five under 65 on the Valley Links as Banbridge’s Colin Wilton and Shandon Park’s Chris Carroll fired one under 71s on the Dunluce to set the pace after the first strokeplay qualifying round for the North Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

With newly-crowned Amateur champion Alan Dunbar taking a well-earned rest before next week’s Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes and East of Ireland and Irish Close champion Chris Selfridge recovering from Ireland’s bronze medal performance in the World University Championship in the Czech Republic, the race for the title looks wide open.

Many of the big names were in action on the Valley with Hume’s 65 leaving him a shot clear of South of Ireland champion Stephen Walsh and Daniel Vaughan of Ardlass while 2006 runner-up Connor Doran, Mourne’s Reeve Whitson, Balmoral’s Matthew McClean and Stephen Speirs of Australian club Kooyonga carded three under 67s

Jack Hume made a good start with a 65 on the ValleyLast year’s beaten finalist Harry Diamond opened his account with a 68 on the shorter track while defending champion Patrick McCrudden from Royal Portrush had to settle for a 71.

While 25 players broke par on the Valley only Wilton and Carroll could dip into the red on the Dunluce Links, posting one under 71s.

Esker Hills’ Alan Lowry, a younger brother of European Tour player Shane Lowry, shot a level par 72 to match Massereene’s Jonathan Connolly, Slieve Russell’s Seamus Cullen and Ballyclare’s Ally Purdy while Graeme McDowell’s brother Gary McDowell was tied 37th of the 150 players who player longer track after a 76.

First qualifying round

Valley Links (Par 70)

65 Jack Hume (Rathsallagh)

66 Stephen Walsh (Portmarnock), Daniel Vaughan (Ardglass)

67 Matthew McClean (Balmoral), Connor Doran (Banbridge), Stephen Speirs (Kooyonga), Reeve Whitson (Mourne)

68 Leon Fricker (Yelverton), Harry Diamond (Belvoir Park), Brian Casey (Headfort), Matthew Kane (Whitehead), Davey Barry (Mahon), Ian Brennan (Greenore), Graeme Laird (Clandeboye)

69 Gary McGrane (Royal Dublin), Nicky Grant (Knock), Paul Dunne (Greystones), Eoin O’Connor (Elm Park), William Hanna (Kilkeel), Matthew McAlpin (Royal Portrush), Alex Clapp (Enmore Park), Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle), Brendan Walton (Island), Keith Shannon (Greenore), Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass)

70 Derek Downie (Sutton), Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), Eddie McCormack (Galway), Theo Coffey (Slieve Russell), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), Enda Cradock (Gort), Andrew Hogan (Newlands) Paddy Delaney (Arklow), Garth McGee (Cypress Point), Trevor Spence (Clandeboye), Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolseley), Gary Walsh (Mount Juliet), Michael Durcan (Co. Sligo), Leon Stevenson (Rathmore), Simon Ward (Co. Louth), Greg Mungovan (Headfort), Damien McCusker (Moyola Park)

71 Robert Cannon (Balbriggan), Rory McNamara (Headfort), Stephen Crowe (Dunmurry)Jonathan Yates (Naas), Patrick McCrudden (Royal Portrush), Michael Sinclair (Knock), Gary McDermott (Co. Sligo), Heath Riches (Kooyonga, Shaun Carter (Stackstown), Simon Bryan (Delgany), Aaron Grant (Dundalk), Patrick Small (Bangor), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), George Morris (Eaton), Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Jamie Richardson (Royal Portrush), Andrew Morris (Belvoir Park)

72 Shuan O’Connor (Skerries), Declan O’Neill (Carton House), Jamie Sutherland (Galgorm Castle), John Turner (Royal Portrush), Simon Miskelly (Knock), Adrian Burns (Galgorm Castle), Steffan O’Hara (Co. Sligo), Barry Anderson (Co. Sligo), James Ashman (Worthing), Kealan Quigg (City Of Derry), Eugene Smith (Ardee), Ciaran Molloy (Ardee), Ernie Heywood (City Of Derry), Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Stephen Brady (Co. Sligo), Ben Best (Rathmore)

73 Sydney Henry (Royal Portrush), Jonny Gourley (Holywood, Barry Fitzsimons (Downpatrick), Dale Baker (Downpatrick), Ben Robinson (Vale), John Greene (Portmarnock), Stephen Garrett (Portstewart), Ian Moore (Dunmurry), Paul Cullen (Royal Tara), Colin Fairweather (Knock), John Finnegan (Royal Portrush), Graeme Dickson (Dunmurry), Gerard Dunne (Seapoint, Liam Ashby (Killerig), Damien McKenna (Foyle), Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint), Ryan Symington (Lisburn), Conor O’Rourke (Naas/NUIM), Conor McGrogan (Newbridge), Alex McCloy (Ballymena), Aidan Faulkner (Donegal), Lester Moore (City Of Derry), Matt McKnight (LPGA Inter), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock), Ronan Burke (Castle), Joe Lyons (Birr), Keagan Cummings (Elm Park), Shaun Doherty (Ballyliffin)

74 Stuart Grehan (Tullamore), Thomas O’Connor (Athlone), Michael McCann (Warrenpoint), Ciaran Dunphy (Killeen Castle), Glenn McAuley (Dunmurry), Darren Close (South Beds), Barry Cashman (Belvoir Park), David Shaw (Belvoir Park), Mark Murphy (Enniscorthy), Noel Crawford (Mourne), David Sutton (Lurgan), Paul Fitzsimons (Downpatrick), Alan Lilley (Ballyclare), Tom Gandy (Rowany)

75 Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu), James Tisdale (Salina Kansas), Philip Sheldon (Edenmore), David McGeough (North West), Phillip Tanham (Delgany), Matthew Alden (Eaton)

76 Paul O’Kane (Moyola Park), Ryan McCullough (Massereene), Aaron Kearney (Castlerock), Shane McGlynn (Carton House), Simon McConnell (Ballyclare), Conor Curran (Dundalk), Ross McConnell (Belvoir Park)

77 Randal Evans (Moyola Park), Michael Gielty (Grange), James Patterson (Knock), Conor Glynn (Carton House), Andrew Dillon (Carrickfergus)

78 Fraser Thain (West Linton), Lee McMillan (Blessington Lakes), Rory Leonard (Banbridge)

79 Neill Boyd (Donaghadee), Steven Hughes (Killymoon), Barry Daly (Edmondstown), Jr Tobia (Woburn), Jeff Hopkins (Skerries), Jon Baker (Eaton)

80 James Hewitt (Tandragee)

81 Mark Richards (Carton House), Michael McGarry (Ballymena), Chris Johnston (Perranporth)

83 Jonathan Mackay (Ballyclare)

89 Robert Emerson (Lurgan)

90 Stuart McAvoy (Belvoir Park)

NR Michael Rae (Rowany), Mark Murnane (Royal Dublin) 

Dunluce Links (Par 72)

71 Colin Wilton (Banbridge), Chris Carroll (Shandon Park)

72 Alan Lowry (Esker Hills), Jonathan Connolly (Massereene), Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell), Ally Purdy (Ballyclare)

73 Andrew Norrby (Balmoral), Jonathan Webster (Castle), Daryl Callister (Mount Murray), Chris Dunbar (Rathmore), Danny Sweeney (Westmanstown), Liam Mulligan (Stackstown), Joseph Timlin (Dungannon), Shane McCabe (Killeen)

74 Keith Kempton (Galgorm Castle), Gary Hamill (Ardglass), Gareth Lappin (Belvoir Park), Pearse McNickle (Castlerock), Liam Harnett (Milltown), Francis McGinn (Ballycastle), Eanna Griffin (Waterford), Graeme Arthur (Carrickfergus), James Kelly (Elm Park), Rory Houston (Rathmore), Luke O’Dwyer (Forrest Little), Danny Keddie (Belton Park), James Lindsay (City Of Derry)

75 Tiernan Lindsay (Fortwilliam), Cian Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), Colin Moffett (Cliftonville), Graeme McQueen (Roganstown), Stuart Winsby (Whitehead), Philip Gibb (Massereene), Glenn Managh (Knock), Ryan Fricker (Yelverton), Timothy Jordan (Dungannon)

76 George Armstrong (Ballyclare), Conor McGurgan (Co. Armagh), Stephen Watts (Cairndhu), Eamonn McDermott (Letterkenny), Ryan Long (Cairndhu), Alan Stevens (Spa), Aaron Taylor (City Of Derry), Adam Doran (Ardee), Neil McKinstry (Cairndhu), Ian Ross (Whitehead), Niall Worth (Island), Stephen Moore (Newbridge), Gary McDowell (Rathmore), Brian Galway (Cairndhu), Eoghan O’Donovan (Craddockstown), Brian O’Reilly (Anry), Graham McDonnell (Mill Ride)

77 Liam Hutchinson (Royal Dublin), Adam Hanley (Corrstown), Alistair McGregor (Cushendall), Barry Stevens (Spa), Sean Quigg (City Of Derry), Jonathan Heaslip (Ballyclare), Ansley Stewart (Portstewart), Steven Quinlan (Killeen), Gary Clarke (Lurgan), Peter Crawley (Carton House), Stephen Boles (Bangor), Gerard Cohen (Beaverstown), Dan Cummins (Co. Meath), Gary McNally (Lurgan), John Robinson (Royal Portrush), Paul McCabrey (Lurgan)

78 Patrick Neville (Anry), Michael O’Donovan (Castlerock), Stuart Bleakley (Balmoral), Daniel Daly (Castle Hume), Christopher Watt (Lurgan), Jim Barbeau (Trillium Wood), Chris Brown (Royal Portrush), Mark Wehrly (Strandhill), Gary Morrow (Lisburn), Robert McNeill (Gracehill), Jonathan Taylor (Shandon Park), Michael Thompson (Scrabo), Jordan Patmore (Lisburn), Gareth Moore (Lurgan), Conor McCaughey (Dungannon)

79 Shane Smyth (Co. Louth), Declan Reidy (Co. Sligo), Mark Murnane (Royal Dublin), Francis Tallon (Lurgan), Joe Crangle (Massereene), Chris Moulds (Lisburn), John McDonald (Delgany), Alan Goodrich (Galgorm Castle), Ryan O’Doherty (Enniscrone), Bryan Martin (Killymoon), Tommy Walker (Bray)

80 Sean O’Connor (Carton House/NUIM), Keith Rooney (Headfort), Thomas Fay (Rush), Stephen Murray (Moyola Park), Mark Timmins (Mount Wolseley), Dean Crawford (Moyola Park), Mark Gaynor (South Carolina), Sean Poucher (Limerick), Colin Hull (Massereene), Stephen Jeffers (Castletown), Simon Lyttle (Royal Portrush), Ryan Gordon (Donaghadee), Mark Hammond (Moyola Park), Daragh Congdon (Clontarf), Michael Dickson (Dunmurry), Stephen Adamson (Royal Belfast), John Gardner (Clandeboye)

81 Pierse Kiernan (Delgany), Mervyn Kelly (Massereene), Colum Kenny (Portmarnock), Gary Flynn (Delgany), Alan Daly (Arklow), Barry Hobson (Shandon Park), John Conroy (Bray), Ciaran Blaney (Co. Meath), Matthew Welsh (Knock), Paul Behan (St. Anne’s), Glenn Baxter (Cairndhu)

82 Jonathan Breen (Knock), James Horan (Lurgan), Byron Campbell (Malone), Ryan McLarnon (Fortwilliam), Tyrone Allan (Brampton Park), Paul McLarnon (Fortwilliam), Johnny Ward (Banbridge)

83 Alan Watt (Holywood), James Pollin (Royal Belfast), Philip Agnew (Clandeboye), Leo Connolly (Wexford), Colin McGarry (Cairndhu), A.J. Crinion (Slade Valley)

84 Nicholas McClay (Cairndhu), Stephen Hamill (Massereene), Eoin McGuinness (East Clare), David Allen (Castlerock), Lord Gort (Castletown)

85 Bruno Lupo (Sutton)

86 Josh McCarthy (Portmarnock), Donald Beggs (Castletown)

88 David O’Halloran (Royal Dublin)

89 Stephen Bateson (Moyola Park)

91 Stephen Pickering (Turnhouse)

NR Richard Moore (Carrickfergus), Rory O’Connor (Castle Dargan), Andrew Coulter (Lisburn)