Kelly and Mulholland lead Irish Seniors Close
David Mulholland (Castlerock) in action at the 2016 Irish Seniors Amateur Close Championship. Picture by Pat Cashman
Naas' Maurice Kelly and Castlerock's David Mulholland set the pace after the opening round of the Irish Seniors Amateur Close at Enniscrone.
They carded two-under-par 71s to lead by two strokes from Tuam's Alan Moran and Royal Curragh's Alan Egan with Tralee's Michael Coote, Balcarrick's Terry Kelly and Mourne's Hugh Smyth three shots off the pace after 74s.
Kelly birdied his last three holes for his 71 while Mulholland dropped just one shot, at the 10th, in an impressively consistent round featuring birdies at the ninth, 13th and 15th.
The top 45 and ties will make the cut after today's second round.
Irish Seniors Amateur Close, Enniscrone Golf Club (Par 73, CSS 75)
71 M Kelly (Naas); D Mulholland (Castlerock)
73 A Moran (Tuam); A Egan (Royal Curragh)
74 M Coote (Tralee); T Kelly (Balcarrick); H Smyth (Mourne)
75 R Cross (Enniscrone); D Varian (Dun Laoghaire)
76 S Graham (East Sussex Nat)
77 P Cowley (Cork); R McDowell (Royal Belfast); J O'Brien (Castlemartyr); P Browne (Laytown & Bettystown)
78 A Morrow (Portmarnock); J Mitchell (Tramore); E Haugh (Castletroy); F Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown )
79 T Tyrrell (The Heath); S Underwood (Co. Sligo); P Lyons (Cork); E Heywood (City of Derry); P Reilly (Co. Louth); E Power (Kilkenny); V Carney (Beech Park); S Alley (Co. Tipperary); P Rogers (Dundalk); D Smith (Millicent)
80 J McVeigh (Carlow); C Murphy (Clandeboye); L Halpin (Westport); J Hughes (Balcarrick); P Sheehan (Ballybunion); D Linehan (Muskerry); M Crowley (Naas); M Gaynor (Co. Meath)
81 C Harrington (Southfield); B Hobson (Malone); J Houlihan (Dooks); P Higgins (Naas); P Bevins (Carlow); F Leonard (Knightsbrook ); B Bolger (Portmarnock); D Weekes (Malone); D O'Neill (The Links Portmarnock)
82 A Brannock (Newlands); M Chambers (Royal Dublin); F Harrold (Castletroy); A Wynne (Strandhill); J Dempsey (Royal Curragh); N Duke (Killiney); S Healy (Galway); M Ahern (Skerries); K Knightly (Royal Dublin); D Sheedy (Lahinch); B Burke (Moate); J Garvey (Seapoint); R Fitzgerald (Tramore)
83 C Hurst (Pedham Place ); P Butler Jnr (Newlands); D Hogan (Newlands); M Eaton (Holywood); L Connolly (Wexford); M Higgins (Claremorris); H O'Leary (Muskerry); B Donlon (Birr); K Bornemann (Douglas)
84 M McMurray (Royal Portrush); P Lewis (Woodbrook); J Bodkin (Tuam); R Timlin (Galway); I Smyth (Clandeboye); M Scott (Luttrellstown Castle); N McGrane (Royal Dublin); C Mcilroy (Holywood)
85 N Mannion (Dun Laoghaire); S Carter (Mountrath); C Walshe (Dundalk); P Morgan (Co. Sligo); M O'Neill (Clonmel); A Lilley (Ballyclare); T Hayes (Co. Louth); M Quirke (Doneraile); D O'Loughlin (Kingswood)
86 B O'Leary (Greystones); M McCormick (West Middlesex); D O'Donovan (Bandon); J Hughes (Woodbrook); T McClements (Clandeboye)
87 P Mitchell (Holywood); N Woods (Bangor); S Ward (Laytown & Bettystown); T Saunders (Ennis); P McGilloway (Hermitage)
88 P Madigan (Waterford Castle); K Sheehy (Athlone); M Hogan (Glasson); W Doggart (Clandeboye)
89 K Lawlor (Beaverstown); I Harbourne (Newlands); T Byrne (Greystones); R McDonnell (Co. Louth)
90 S O'Mahony (Galway); B O'Malley (Royal Dublin)
91 H MacKeown (Portmarnock); D Francis (Ashbourne); T Griffin (Corballis Links); G Hutchinson (Royal Belfast); G Fox (Strandhill)
92 D Egan (Moyvalley); J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin)
93 P Fulham (Glenlo Abbey); J Williams (Castle)
95 A Bell (Greencastle)
97 M Donohue (Portumna); G Eagleton (Virginia)
NR M Horan (Birr Golf Club); R Joyce (Oughterard); P Killeen (Claremorris)
