Lucan's Richard O'Donovan and Mourne's Reeve Whitson have work to do to make the cut after the opening round of the Red Sea Ain Sokhna Classic on the former EPD Tour.

The former Ireland internationals started their 2015 campaigns on the German Pro Golf Tour in Egypt last week with O'Donovan tied 14th in the Red Sea Egyptian Classic, where Whitson was 23rd.

But they have their world cut out to make the cut after rusty starts in the €30,000 Red Sea Ain Sokhna Classic at Sokhna Golf Club, some 40 km south of Suez.

O'Donovan got off to a slow start and turned in five over 40 before coming home in one under 36 for a 76 that left him tied for 52nd, 10 strokes behind Finland's Teemu Bakker.

It was the other way around for former Spanish Amateur Open champion Whitson, who birdied the first and third but then double bogeyed the par-three fourth and triple bogeyed the seventh en route to a five over 77 and a share of 62nd.

Bakker's 66 gave him a two-stroke lead over Maximilian Laier of Germany in an even where the top 40 and ties after Tuesday's second round will make the cut.

Scores