Hume and Dunne inside qualifiers after round one at Q-School

September 22, 2015 Brian Keogh

Jack Hume blasts out of a bunker on the seventh hole during an afternoon singles match at the 2015 Walker Cup at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. (Copyright USGA/Chris Keane)

Jack Hume and Paul Dunne put their Walker Cup exploits behind them and made excellent starts in the First Qualifying Stage of the European Tour Q-School in Austria.

Naas amateur Hume, who will not contemplate turning professional unless he secures a card for the European Tour or the Challenge Tour, made six birdies and two bogeys in his first 12 holes, then closed with six pars for a four 68 and an eight-way share of second, two shots off the lead at Golfclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf.

Playing in the group behind, rookie professional Dunne was three under par playing the 18th but signed off with a bogey for a 70 worth a share of 17th on two under par — just inside the top 21 and ties who, after four rounds, will progress to the Second Stage of the Q-School at four Spanish venues in November.

The Greystones man's new management company, 4Sports & Entertainment, confirmed via Twitter on Tuesday that they have signed Dunne on "a long term,exclusive representation contract."

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Sweden's Oscar Lengden shot a six under par 66 to head the 94 hopefuls with Hume and American Dodge Kemmer, who secured a top 20 finish in the M2M Russian Open at the start of the month, amongst a group of eight players in a share of second, two shots behind.

Meanwhile, over at Collingtree Park, in England, torrential rain led to a lengthy delay, with less than half the field able to finish before nightfall.

Of the players who did manage to complete their first rounds before darkness descended in Northampton, it was the English duo of Sam Crowther and Paul Reed and the 2014 Amateur Champion Bradley Neil of Scotland who fared best, shooting rounds of 70 to sit on two under par.

Clontarf club professional Eamonn Brady is provisionally tied 11th after carding three birdies and three bogeys in a 72 with Killeen Castle's Richie Weldon (74) tied 20th and Peter McGibney (77) tied 39th.

The first round will resume at 8am on Wednesday morning with Reeve Whitson, JD Guiney, and Ciaran Boggan in action.