Skerries' Richard Brooker fired a one-under par 70 to take a two-stroke lead after the opening round of the Leinster Senior Amateur Open at Forrest Little.

He carded four birdies and three birdies in an outstanding effort as former Shamrock Rovers footballer Neville Steedman of Courtown and Tramore's John Mitchell posted one over 72s.

Defending champion Kevin Sheehy from Athlone has it all to do to retain the title after a posting an opening 79.

Detailed scoring

Mitchell, who is third in the race for the Michael Hennelly Award, can close the gap on absentees Tom Cleary and Adrian Morrow in the Senior Order of Merit.

Leinster Senior Amateur Open Championship 2014

Forrest Little Golf Club (Par 71 SSS 72 CSS 73)

Round One

70 Richard Brooker (Skerries)

72 Neville Steedman (Courtown), John Mitchell (Tramore)

73 John L Hughes (Woodbrook)

74 Maurice Kelly (Naas)

76 Mervyn Eager (Lucan), Michael Coote (Tralee), Don Weekes (Dunmurry), Barry O'Leary (Greystones), Pat Morrissey (Balbriggan), Raph Smyth (Laytown & Bettystown)

77 Mick Ahern (Skerries), Patrick Higgins (Forrest Little.), Tony Hayes (K Club), Nigel Duke (Killiney), Bert Burke (Moate), Peter Cowley (Cork), Tony Goode (Lucan)

78 Hugh Smyth (Mourne), Brian Whitaker (Elm Park), Paul Hautz (Delgany), Paddy Lewis (Woodbrook), Frank Leonard (Knightsbrook), Alistair Smith (Blainroe), Liam MacNamara (Rosslare), Morgan Pierse (Grange)

79 Jimmy McCarthy (Mannan Castle), Mick Gaynor (Co. Meath), Billy Donlon (Birr), John Murphy (Arklow), Paddy Harrington (Muskerry), Hugh MacKeown (Portmarnock), Nigel Woods (Bangor), Kevin Sheehy (Athlone), David Walpole (Milltown), Rory Fitzgerald (Tramore)

80 Greg Murphy (K Club), Martin Higgins (Claremorris), John Groome (Arklow), Steve Prendergast (The Royal Dublin), Noel Paterson (Milltown), Terry Lilly (Slade Valley), Jerry Gore (Oughterard)

81 Michael Kirby (Naas), John Bourke (Castle), Brendan O'Malley (The Royal Dublin), Ian Smyth (Clandeboye), Paul Bray (Australia)

82 John Cullen (Esker Hills), Jack Dempsey (Curragh), Dave Roberts (Rathcore)

83 Patrick Coyne (Dun Laoghaire), Allan Clarke (Co. Louth), Rory Timlin (Galway), Jim McVeigh (Carlow), Larry O'Connor (Stackstown), George Mellerick (Fota Island), Oliver O'Sullivan (Laytown & Bettystown), Patrick Comerford (Corrstown), Peter Murphy (Carlow), Pat Lynch (Slade Valley)

84 Larry Cushen (The Heath), Garry Campbell (Greystones), Niall Finnegan (Gort), Liam Doran (Ardee), John Cuffe (Monkstown), Gerard O'Kennedy (Athlone), Brian Farrell (Balcarrick), Niall Lavin (The Royal Dublin), Des Egan (Loughrea), Patrick O'Brien (Forrest Little.)

85 Neil Kilgallon (European), Liam Treacy (K Club), Jody Gilhooly (Edmondstown), Michael Darcy (Oughterard), Brian McClean (The Royal Dublin), Seamus Ward (Laytown & Bettystown)

86 Joseph P O'Grady (K Club), Camillus Muldowney (Grange), Michael.J. O'Brien (Co. Louth), Joseph Dowey (Lurgan)

87 Hugh Donohue (Hollywood Lakes), David Coyle (K Club), John McCann (Co. Louth), Thomas Dowling (Edmondstown)

88 Paul Cooley (Portstewart), Paul Kelly (Bellewstown)

89 Patrick Morgan (Co. Sligo), Patrick Desmond (The Island), Richard Cotter (Delgany)

91 William Leggett (The Island)

92 David Lindsay (Strandhill)

93 Tadg Mannion (Athlone), Liam Wall (Cahir Park)

94 Pat Walsh (Killiney)

95 Tony McGlynn (Craddockstown)

96 James Kennedy (Balcarrick)

WD Matt Donohue (Portumna), John O'Malley (Rathdowney)