Steven Quinlan fired a bogey-free four-under par 68 to lead after the opening round of the 109th Irish PGA Championship at Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club.

The 29-year-old has found some form in recent weeks and a return to an old set of irons has coincided with an upturn in his 'greens in regulation' stats.

“I always seem to play well coming into August,” said Steven. “The last couple of rounds I have been striking it well but I have been making some silly mistakes.

“Today everything worked pretty well. I think I missed only two greens and I hit it pin high quite a lot. It's playing long but we're placing so it's not too bad. Overall, it's a great golf course.”

Quinlan birdied the third when he hit a wedge into a foot, the 11th where he holed from 18 feet and the 14th and 15th.

He leads Kilkenny’s Jimmy Bolger and the 2017 champion Tim Rice from Limerick by a shot with Glasson’s Colm Moriarty, Carlow’s Damien McGrane and Evolve Golf Coaching’s Brian McElhinney a shot further back on two-under.

“That was a nice solid start, I'm happy with that,” said Rice. “It's a great test of golf, a proper course, you have to hit a lot of good shots to do well.”

Bolger, a Carlow native, was four under after 10 holes but a dropped shot on the par five18th cost him a share of the lead.

“I maybe didn't play great but scored well, holed a couple of good birdie putts,” said Bolger.

The top 50 and ties after Wednesday’s second round will qualify for the final round on Thursday.

In the pre-event Pro-Am, there was a three-way tie between Moriarty, Dun Laoghaire’s Richard O'Donovan and Evolve Golf Coaching’s Michael McGeady after they posted two-under 70s at the Co. Wexford venue.

McGeady also came up trumps in the team event, guiding his amateur partners of Colm Kelly, John Wallace and M J Fetherson to success with 85 pts.

109th Irish PGA Championship, Bunclody Golf & Fishing Resort (Par 72), August 20-22, Sponsored by TLC Nursing Homes (€24,000)

Detailed scores

Round one

68 Steven Quinlan (SQ Golf)

69 Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny), Tim Rice (Limerick)

70 Brian McElhinney (Evolve Golf Coaching), Colm Moriarty (Glasson Hotel & GC), Damien McGrane (Carlow)

71 Cormac Power (McGuirks Golf), Simon Thornton (Tulfarris Golf Resort), Nicholas Grant (Knock), Brian Jnr McCormack (Royal Dublin)

72 Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge), Mark Whelan (Castlewarden), Brian Kerley (Ardee)

73 David Higgins (Waterville), Eamonn Brady (Clontarf), Stephen Barry (Royal Tara), Gary Madden (Glenlo Abbey)

74 Paul Masterson (Macreddin), Padraig Dooley (Drive Golf Performance ), Ciaran Hegarty (Millicent), Eoin O'Connor (Kilkenny), David Barry (Douglas), Joe Dillon (Headfort), Brian Doheny (Callan)

75 Tara Delaney (Carlow), Jack Howard (Fota Island), Peter O'Hagan (Luttrellstown Castle), Adam Dunmore (Bundoran), Cian McNamara (Monkstown), Patrick Devine (Sutton)

76 Derry Kiely (Faithlegg), Brian Sweeney (Naas), Mark O'Mahony (Titleist National Fitting Centre), Jerry Scullion (J Scullion Golf), Shane Jenkinson (St Margaret's Golf & CC), Gerry Burke (Royal Curragh, Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf), Christopher Watt (Royal Dublin), Ted Higgins (www.tedhiggins.com)

77 Peter Jones (Coollattin), Sean O'Donoghue (Kilkenny), Eddie Doyle (The Eddie Doyle Golf Academy), Mark Murphy (Mount Wolseley Golf & CC), Shane Franklin (Cregmore Park), Eric Byrne (Rathfarnham), Richard Bridges (Castle), Robert Giles (Greenore), Eddie Tracey (Ballina), Michael McGeady (Evolve Golf Coaching), Eoin Arthurs (Kinsealy Grange GA)

78 Mark Beckett (Adare Manor Resort), Anthony Hanlon (Stackstown), Roy O'Neill (Galway), Richard O'Donovan (Dun Laoghaire), Donal Gleeson (Old Conna), Mark O'Sullivan (Piltown Driving Range), John Dignam (Slade Valley)

79 Sean Cannon (Athenry), Mark Burke (Concra Wood), Gavin Young (Adare Manor Resort), James Walsh (Adare Manor Resort)

80 Darren Walsh (Wexford), Gary McLean (Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club), Liam Whelan (Craddockstown), Jamie Dreelan (Rosslare), Karl Goodwin (Beaverstown), Craig Stewart (Craig Stewart Golf Ltd), Keith McDermott (Hermitage), Adam Mulhall (Ardglass), Donal Murphy (Grange Castle), Robert Leech (Dunloe)

81 Harry Coyne (Carton House), Graham Byrne (Palmerstown House Estate), Leslie Walker (Dundalk)

82 Andrew Gorman (Killeen Castle), Matthew Dunmore (Bundoran), Gary McGrane (St Anne's)

83 John Casey (Tralee), Raymond Ryan (Thurles), Bradley Cohen (Wexford)

85 Matthew Looby (Greystones)

86 David Hayes (Dungarvan), Mark O'Boyle (Heath)

87 Mark Collins (Charleville)

88 Philip McLaughlin (Unatt)

91 Ronan Higgins (Balbriggan)

RTD Lee Campbell (Co Armagh), Corey Doherty (Unatt.), Shane McCabe (Killeen)

NR James Quinlivan (Mullingar), Graham Sweeney (Elmgreen Golf Centre).

Tee times

Round 2

0730 D Murphy (Grange Castle), R Bridges (Castle), E O'Connor (Kilkenny);

0740 R Ryan (Thurles), J Walsh (Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort), R O'Neill (Galway);

0750 R Giles (Greenore), E Tracey (Ballina), J Bolger (Kilkenny);

0800 M O'Mahony (Titleist National Fitting Centre), D Barry (Douglas), J Scullion (J Scullion Golf);

0810 S Jenkinson (St Margaret's Golf & CC), G Burke (Royal Curragh), R O'Donovan (Dun Laoghaire);

0820 A Dunmore (Bundoran), S Quinlan (SQ Golf), J Dillon (Headfort);

0840 D Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf), T Rice (Limerick), B McElhinney (Evolve Golf Coaching);

0850 C McNamara (Monkstown), B Doheny (Callan);

0900 D Higgins (Waterville), R Kilpatrick (Banbridge), M McGeady (Evolve Golf Coaching);

0910 E Brady (Clontarf), M Whelan (Castlewarden Golf & CC);

0920 S Thornton (Tulfarris Golf Resort), C Moriarty (Glasson Hotel & CC), D McGrane (Carlow);

0930 N Grant (Knock), D Gleeson (Old Conna); B Jnr McCormack (Royal Dublin);

0950 M O'Sullivan (Piltown DR), J Dignam (Slade Valley), P Devine (Sutton);

1000 G Byrne (Palmerstown House Estate), M Dunmore (Bundoran), C Watt (Royal Dublin);

1010 L Walker (Dundalk), T Higgins (www.tedhiggins.com), S Barry (Royal Tara);

1020 G Madden (Glenlo Abbey), G McGrane (St Anne’s), B Kerley (Ardee);

1030 B Cohen (Wexford) R Leech (Dunloe), E Arthurs (Kinsealy Grange)

1040 D Kiely (Faithlegg), D Walsh (Wexford);

1100 G McLean (Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club), T Delaney (Carlow), P Jones (Coollattin);

1110 L Whelan (Craddockstown, P Masterson (Macreddin), S O’Donoghue (Kilkenny);

1120 E Doyle (The Eddie Doyle Golf Academy), M Murphy (Mount Wolseley Golf & CC), D Hayes (Dungarvan)

1130 S Cannon (Athenry), K Goodwin (Beaverstown);

1140 M Burke (Concra Wood), A Gorman (Killeen Castle);

1150 P McLaughlin; M Collins (Charleville), C Power (McGuirks Golf);

1210 C Stewart (Craig Stewart Golf Ltd), K McDermott (Hermitage), J Casey (Tralee);

1220 G Young (Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort), M O'Boyle (Heath),

1230 B Sweeney (Naas), M Looby (Greystones), M Beckett (Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort);

1240 R Higgins (Balbriggan), A Mulhall (Ardglass),

1250 S Franklin (Cregmore Park), H Coyne (Carton House), E Byrne (Rathfarnham);

1300 P Dooley (Drive Golf Performance), J Howard (Fota Island), P O'Hagan (Luttrellstown Castle);

1310 C Hegarty (Millicent), A Hanlon (Stackstown);