Persson and Eager lead Munster Veterans by three
Sweden’s Tomas Persson following his win in Spain earlier this year
Sweden’s Tomas Persson and Lucan’s Mervyn Eager shot a two over par 74s to take a three-stroke lead after the opening round of the Munster Veterans Amateur Open Championship at Thurles.
Winner of the Spanish Seniors early this year, Persson had three birdies and five bogeys while Eager had two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey six at the 11th.
They lead comfortably from Cork’s Peter Cowley and another Swede in Per Anders Grufman with Waterford’s Gerry O’Keeffe, Ennis’ Noel Pyne and Sweden’s Anders Rydberg tied third after 80s.
No fewer than 12 Swedes have made the trip for an event that is now in its seventh year.
Defending champion Ben Burke, who triumphed on the Castle Course at Lahinch last year, is in 18th place after an 84.
Munster Veterans Amateur Open Championship, Thurles Golf Club (Sponsored by Horse & Jockey Hotel, Thurles)
CSS R1 = 74 (R/O)
74 Tomas Persson (Sweden), Mervyn Eager (Lucan)
77 Peter Cowley (Cork Golf Club), Per Anders Grufman (Sweden)
80 Gerry O'Keeffe (Waterford), Noel Pyne (Ennis Golf Club), Anders Rydberg (Sweden)
81 Bertil Josefsson (Sweden)
82 Paul Hautz (Delgany Golf Club), Sean F. Hosty (Galway Golf Club), Camillus Muldowney (Grange)
83 Brian Grieve (King James VI Golf Club), Staffan Akesson (Sweden), Thomas Mernagh (Spanish Point Golf Club), John Carroll (Bandon Golf Club), Anders Falk (Parknasilla Golf Club)
84 Murt O'Shea (Co. Louth Golf Club), Bert Burke (Moate Golf Club), Jan Nilsson (Sweden)
85 Mike Hennessy (Lahinch Golf Club), Lars Bosson Flodman (Sweden), John Cuffe (Monkstown Golf Club)
86 Ken Newens (Castlerock Golf Club), Rolf Holme (Sweden), Ken O'Neill (Castle)
87 Krister Jacobsson (Sweden), Paddy O'Brien (Dungarvan Golf Club), Richard Cotter (Delgany Golf Club)
88 Leif Ericson (Sweden), John Bourke (Castle), Tony McGlynn (Craddockstown Golf Club), Benkt Svederman (Sweden), John Houlihan (Dooks Golf Club)
89 Michael Dowd (Galway Golf Club), Tom Campion (Athlone Golf Club), Joe Crowley (Athy Golf Club)
90 John McCann (Co. Louth Golf Club)
91 PJ Phelan (Cahir Park Golf Club), William Leggett (Island)
92 Oliver O'Mahony (Cork Golf Club), Richard Pyne (Lahinch Golf Club)
93 Tommy Glynn (Galway Golf Club), Dennis O'Regan (Kanturk Golf Club)
94 Brendan O'Neill (Kanturk Golf Club), Sylvie Murphy (Kanturk Golf Club), Ulf Schroder (Sweden), Philip Cooney (Lee Valley Golf Club)
95 William Mernagh (Kanturk Golf Club)
96 Tadg Mannion (Athlone Golf Club)
97 Joe Carney (Athlone Golf Club)
100 Declan Harty (East Cork Golf Club), John Condon (Waterford)
107 Michael Burke (Cahir Park Golf Club)
109 Sean Power (Dungarvan Golf Club)
NR William J O'Brien (Ballykisteen Golf Club), John Ryan (Waterford), Jimmy O'Neill (Thurles), Larry Cullen (Rush), Joseph Corless (Galway Golf Club), Podge Dolan (Rush).
