Great Britain and Ireland captain Nigel Edwards is well aware of Ardglass' Cormac Sharvin and he will have taken note as the Ulsterman shot a two under 68 to snatch a share of the first round lead in the Lytham Trophy at this year's Walker Cup venue.

Like Portmarnock's Geoff Lenehan, who shot 69, and Gary Hurley (71), the former Irish Close winner took advantage of an early start to make an eagle, three birdies and three bogeys for a 68 and a share of top spot with world No 2 Marcus Kinhult of Sweden, Hong Kong's Oliver Roberts and Denmark's John Axelsen.

Sharvin is a member of the preliminary GB&I Walker Cup squad and he's in good form having retained his British Universities Championship title over the Duke's Course at St Andrews last week.

Sharvin and Co lead by one stroke from a four-man group that includes former Ireland senior panellist Lenehan, who had three birdies and two bogeys in a fine 69.

It was a mixed day for the Irish with Hurley. the in-form man in green, posting a one over 71 and fellow Munster man Gary Collins from Rosslare a 73.

A 74 for Dermot McElroy and 75s for Jack Hume, Richard Bridges and Robin Dawson leave them reasonably well placed. But it was more of a struggle for the rest with The Island's Gavin Moynihan, still struggling to regain his form of previous years, admitting to finding too many of Royal Lytham and St Annes 205 bunkers.

Lytham Trophy, Royal Lytham and St Annes (Par 70)

First round - Click here for hole-by-hole scores

68 Marcus Kinhult (Sweden), Oliver Roberts (Hong Kong), John Axelsen (Denmark), Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass)

69 Lukas Lipold (Austria), Ashton Turner (Kenwick Park), J S Bower (Meltham), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock)

70 Oliver James Farrell (Evesham), Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock (Barassie)), Zan Luka Stirn (Slovenia)

71 John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot), Christopher Dammert (Germany), Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), Jack Singh Brar (Remedy Oak), Craig Melding (Neath), Gary Hurley (West Waterford), Mark Phillip Collins (Chart Hills), Matthew Jordan (Royal Liverpool), Felix Kvarnstrom (Sweden), Luke Trocado (South Africa), Mathias Eggenberger (Switzerland), Craig Ross (Kirkhill), Tim Widing (Sweden)

72 Marco Iten (Switzerland), Ugo Coussaud (France), Scott Gregory (Corhampton), Romain Langasque (France), Christoffer Bring (Denmark), Daniel Wasteney (Lindrick), Nicholas Peoples (Royal Lytham & St Annes), Simon Richardson (Boston)

73 Nick Watson (Stoke Rochford), Barry J Hume (Haggs Castle), Daniel Brown (Bedale), Richard James (Aberystwyth), Nick Marsh (Huddersfield), Greig Marchbank (Thornhill), Robbie Van West (Prise d Eau), Max Schmitt (Germany), Gary Collins (Rosslare), Oliver Carr (Heswall), L Johnson (Kings Lynn), Oskar Bergqvist (Sweden)

74 Jack Barrie Yule (Middleton Hall), Leonard Bem (France), Christopher Kendall (Royal Lytham & St Annes), Jeremy Gandon (France), S Whitaker (Blankney), Robin Roussel (France), Grant Kelton Price (USA), Thomas Gandy (Rowany), Bradley Moore (Kedleston Park), Harry Hall (West Cornwall), Ben Amor (Marlborough), Sixten Jensen (Denmark), Evan Griffith (Conwy, Caernarvonshire), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon), Nicolas Aparicio (France), Craig Howie (Peebles)

75 William Whiteoak (Shipley), Lars Keunen (Netherlands), Joe Dean (Lindrick), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie), Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden), Michael Saunders (Dartford), Richard Bridges (Stackstown), Jack Hume (Naas), Michael Hirmer (Germany), Victor Theandersson (Sweden), Will Shucksmith (Alwoodley), Daydon Alexandre (France), Michael Smyth (Royal Troon - Old Course), James Glenn (USA), Scott Gibson (Southerness), Jeremy Freiburghaus (Switzerland), Jamie Savage (Cawder), Robin Dawson (Faithlegg)

76 Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Maximilian Mehles (Germany), Jeong-Weon Ko (France), Adam Blomme (Sweden), Adam Chapman (Windermere), Henry Tomlinson (Royal Lytham & St Annes), Paul Kinnear (Formby), Sean Towndrow (Southport & Ainsdale), Jim Liu (USA), Vince Van Veen (Netherlands), Alfie Plant (Sundridge Park)

77 James Allan (Chelmsford), Fraser Moore (Glenbervie), Edgar Catherine (France), Ben Wall (Hayling), G Harris (Formby), Stuart Grehan (Tullamore), Jack Davidson (Llanwern), Matty Lamb (Hexham), Victor Henum (Denmark), Vaclan Lebl (Czech Republic), Edward Richardson (Rye), Samuel Turner (Royal Lytham & St Annes), Tim Harry (Vale of Glamorgan), Peter Launer Bak (Denmark), Jeroen Krietemeijer (Netherlands)

78 Daniel Young (Craigie Hill), Eli Cole (USA), Ashley Mason (Glen Gorse), Andrew Wilson (Darlington), Lee Jones (Conwy, Caernarvonshire), Marcus Svensson (Sweden), Richard Jouven (France), Daniel Becker (Germany), Robert Burlison (Oxley Park), Callan Barrow (Royal Lytham & St Annes), Oscar Granstrom-Livesey (Royal Mid-Surrey), Marco Penge (Golf at Goodwood), Gavin Moynihan (The Island), Markus Habeler (Austria), Jamie Dick (Forest Hills (Gloucestershire)), Jamie Li (Bath), Connor Syme (Drumoig)

79 Maximilian Boegel (Germany), Victor Tarnstrom (Sweden), Matyas Zapletal (Czech Republic), Neal Woernhard (Switzerland), Vitek Novak (Czech Republic), Eugene Smith (Ardee), Nick Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead), Adam Wilson (Mold)

80 Daniel Holland (Castle), Jack Davis (Aston Wood), Kevin Reints (Netherlands)

81 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm), David Butler (Monifieth Golf Links), James McCormick (Styal)

82 Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park), Frederic Lacroix (France), Alexander Stubbs (Oxfordshire (The)), Adrien Pinguet (France)

83 Piran Adi (USA), Felix Palson (Sweden)

85 Bryce McCabe (South Africa)