Castlerock’s Aaron Kearney made a fine start to the North of Ireland Championship with a 65 in qualifying. Picture © Pat CashmanCastlerock’s Aaron Kearney and Castleblaney’s Colin Wilton set the early qualifying pace after the first strokeplay round of the North of Ireland Amateur Open at Royal Portrush.

Reaping the beenfits from a more relaxed approach to the game, Kearney fired a magnificent, five under par 65 on the Valley Links to lead by one on that side of the draw from Irish Amateur Close champion Cormac Sharvin from Ardglass, Massereene’s Tiarnan McLarnon, Royal Portrush’s John Turner and Castletown’s Tom Harris.

Internationals Dermot McElroy, Brian Casey and Gary McDermott were in an eight-man pack carding 67s that also included Stackstown’s Richard Bridges and Baltray’s Gareth Bohill.

On the Dunluce Links, Wilton shot a two under 70 with Spa’s Alan Stevens the only other player to break par.

Click here for a first round picture gallery from the Dunluce Links

North of Ireland Amateur Open 2013, Royal Portrush GC

Sponsored by Cathedral Eye Monday

8 July to Friday 12 July 2013

Qualifying - Round One

Valley Links

65 A Kearney (Castlerock)

66 C Sharvin (Ardglass), T Harris (Castletown), T McLarnon (Massereene), J Turner (Royal Portrush)

67 D McElroy (Ballymena), D Sutton (Lurgan), R Bridges (Stackstown), G Bohill (Co. Louth), B Best (Rathmore), B Casey (Headfort), P Graham (Galgorm Castle), G McDermott (Co. Sligo)

68 C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), N Grant (Knock), G Collins (Rosslare), M McKnight (LPGA International)

69 S Miskelly (Knock), J Richardson (Royal Portrush), S Walsh (Portmarnock), R Symington (Lisburn), I Kettyle (Rathmore), R McKinstry (Cairndhu), S Carter (Stackstown), G Dunne (Co. Louth), G Young (Birr)

70 G Lenehan (Portmarnock), D Mulholland (Castlerock), S Coulter (Warrenpoint), G Mungovan (Headfort), B Anderson (Royal Dublin), E Farrell (Ardee), J Yates (Naas), G Clarke (Lurgan), S Watts (Cairndhu), K Egan (Carton House)

71 C Moulds (Lisburn), S Grehan (Tullamore), S O’Connor (Luttrellstown Castle), R Cannon (Balbriggan), S Cullen (Slieve Russell) , C Murphy (Clandeboye), T Gandy (Rowany), W Russell (Clandeboye), S East (Moortown), J McMahon (The Carrick), G Hurley (West Waterford/NUIM), P Reavey (Warrenpoint), M Reid (Galgorm Castle), J Ashman (Worthing), K McDonagh (Athlone)

72 C Johnston (Pe rranporth), I Moore (Dunmurry), N Crawford (Mourne), T Jordan (Dungannon), P Coughlan (Moate), S McGlynn (Carton House), R Kenny (Naas), M McAlpin (Royal Portrush), S O’Hara (Co. Sligo), A Morris (Belvoir Park), J Gourley (Holywood), S Ryan (Royal Dublin), J Finnegan (Royal Portrush), J Galbraith (Whitehead), R O’Reilly (Headfort)

73 A Grant (Dundalk), A Lowry (Esker Hills), H Whittle (Woburn), K Quigg (City of Derry), D Vaughan (Ardglass), A McCloy (Ballymena), K Lynch (Skibbereen/NUIM), S Speirs (Brunston Castle), A Purdy (Ballyclare), D McCusker (Moyola Park), B Fitzsimons (Downpatrick)

74 E Smith (Ardee), S Bryan (Delgany), J Timlin (Dungannon), M McSherry (Lurgan), S Ward (Co. Louth), G Laird (Clandeboye), J Hopkins (Royal Dublin), P McCrudden (Royal Portrush), S Healy (Claremorris), G McKenna (Fortwilliam), M Rae (Rowany), C Dullaghan (Greenore), L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin), J Maginn (Mourne), M Cox (Hindhead)

75 C Campbell (Warrenpoint), E O’Connor (Elm Park), C Morrison (Spa), G McAuley (Dunmurry), C McGrogan (Newbridge), M Sinclair (Knock), S Bleakley (Shandon Park), M McGarry (Ballymena)

76 H Diamond (Belvoir Park), A Doran (Ardee), S McShane (Holywood), P Fitzsimons (Downpatrick), C Carroll (Shandon Park), C Selfridge (Moyola Par k), J Hood (Galgorm Castle), D Callister (Mount Murray), C O’Rourke (Naas/NUIM), S Crowe (Dunmurry), L Thompson (Rookery Park), B Cashman (Belvoir Park), D Holland (Castle), E Heywood (City of Derry)

77 I Brennan (Greenore), S Underwood (Co. Sligo), J Feenan (Ardglass), W Hanna (Kilkeel), P Delaney (Arklow), E Griffin (Waterford)

78 J Tisdale (Salina GC), R McNeill (Gracehill), M Richards (Roganstown), J Mackay (Ballyclare), M Gielty (Grange), A Meharg (Bright Castle), R Loney (Tandragee), T Coffe y (Slieve Russell), W Bamber (Royal Portrush), J Conroy (Bray)

79 L Crawford (Clandeboye), J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle), A Brady (Ballymena), S Maloney (Dunmurry Springs), C McErlane (Fortwilliam), D McGeough (North West), D Brennan (Shannon)

80 S McCarthy (Killeen/NUIM), L McMillan (Carton House)

81 E O’Donovan (Craddockstown), G Dickson (Dunmurry), S Lee (Co. Armagh), C Melvin (Corrstown)

82 G McDowell (Rathmore)

84 J Greer (Greenisland), S Bell (Gracehill)

85 R Armstrong (Royal Golf Club)

88 J Ward (Banbridge)

NR D Baker (Downpatrick), T Fay (Rush)

Dunluce Links

70 C Wilton (Castleblayney)

71 A Stevens (Spa)

73 R Gordon (Donaghadee), G Managh (Knock), A Montgomery (Old Conna), E Long (Monkstown), F McGinn (Ballycastle)

74 R Knightly (Royal Dublin), A Dillon (Carrickfergus), C Wedgeworth (Pollok), C McCaughey (Dungannon)

75 C Lavery (Rossmore), S Cave (Holywood), S Alley (Co. Tipperary), J Breen (Kirkistown Castle), B Stevens (Spa)

76 R Long (Cairndhu), M Abram (Cairndhu), N McGlynn (Carton House), G Arthur (Carrickfergus), S Boles (Bangor)

77 P Sheldon (Edenmore), M McHugh (Castleblayney), R Tighe (Elm Park), F Tallon (Lurgan), C Watt (Lurgan), D Peacock (Bangor), G Bradley (Portstewart), L Burns (Mourne), B Galway (Cairndhu), S Hamill (Massereene), M Murphy (Clandeboye)

78 G Moore (Lurgan), G Baxter (Cairndhu), M O’Donovan (Castlerock), S Moore (Newbridge), D Crawford (Moyola Park), P McGuigan (Foyle), M Rooney (Co. Sligo), L Stevenson (Rathmore), R Evans (Moyola Park), M Hammond (Moyola Park), A McCully (Spa), G O’Connor (Malahide), M Timmins (Mount Wolseley)

79 M Judge (Stackstown), C McGurgan (City of Derry), C McCann (Lurgan), G Finnegan (Co. Sligo), D Byrne (Athenry), J Lindsay (North West/Ulster), J Fletcher (Warrenpoint), B Martin (Killymoon), M McAvoy (Lurgan), A Kerr (Clandeboye), M Molloy (Silverwood), P Crawley (Co. Sligo), M Reynolds (Dromoland)

80 M Zillekens (Bergisch Land), A Gallagher (Shandon Park), G Flynn (Delgany), M Dallat (Ballycastle), R Houston (Rathmore), D Sweeney (Westmanstown), M Furlong (Arklow), P McLarnon (Fortwilliam), P Ross (Dunmurry), S Adamson (Royal Belfast), S Barker (Mourne)

81 J Heaslip (Ballyclare), T Lindsay (Fortwilliam), J Owens (Bangor), B Loftus (Lahinch), N Duggan (Dromoland), S Lyttle (Royal Portrush), G Mowat (Enniskillen), A Threadgold (Charlesland), G MacNamara (Woodbrook), M Kiernan (Delgany), O Crooks (Bushfoot), S Murray (Moyola Park), C Blaney (Co. Meath), L Mulligan (Stackstown), D Shaw (Belvoir Park)

82 C Steele (Ballyclare), S Kinch (Hollystown), S Kelly (Omagh), M Nolan (Delgany), B Lynch (Ballinrobe), S O’Connor (Carton House/NUIM), N McClay (Cairndhu), N Cromwell (Co. Armagh), D Cosgrove (Kilcock), S Hughes (Killymoon), C Dunbar (Rathmore)

83 A Owens (Castle Hume), M Downes (Lucan), R McCullough (Massereene), R Carvill (Warrenpoint), D Hughes (Fortwilliam), M McGowan (Ballybofey/S), A Lilley (Ballyclare), B O’Reilly (Athenry), R Harpur (Tandragee), R McLarnon (Fortwilliam)

84 P McCabrey (Lurgan), G Cohen (Beaverstown), I Ross (Whitehead), A Coulter (Lisburn), D Ritchie (Portpatrick), M Gaynor (Country Club), G Morrow (Lisburn), M McCormick (West Middlesex), E Downes (Lucan), S Winsby (Whitehead)

85 S Kelly (Lurgan), J Kelly (Elm Park), J O’Sullivan (Co. Louth), P Gibb (Massereene), L Gort (Castletown), B Campbell (Malone), C Miller (Clandeboye), P Tanham (Delgany), E Hannon (Lee Valley)

86 L Connolly (Wexford), L Moore (City of Derry), M Crowe (Elm Park), P Kiernan (Delgany), A McAteer (Whitehead), D Barber (Portstewart)

87 C Flanagan (Old Conna), P Neville (Athenry)

88 M Dickson (Dunmurry), L Doran (Ardee), G McNally (Lurgan)

89 E Lynch (Lurgan), S Scott (Baberton)

91 C Hull (Massereene)

92 J McCarthy (Portmarnock), P Hennessy (Lahinch)

93 D Senior (Shandon Park), J McClure (Studley Wood), L Harnett (Milltown)

95 D Cummins (Co. Meath)

99 F Furey (Stackstown)

NR M McCusker (Holywood) NR, K Canavan (Corballis Links) NR, S Brownlow (Dun Laoghaire) NR, S Jeffers (Castletown) NR

WTD D Baker (Downpatrick) WTD