Keith Egan (Carton House during round one of the AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close Championship at Tullamore Golf Club © Golffile | Thos Caffrey)

Tullamore Golf Club was the big winner as just 16 players beat par in the opening round of the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship.

The course that was significantly redesigned by James Braid in 1938 proved more than a match for the best amateurs in the country with his punishing closing stretch a major challenge in winds that gusted close to 25 mph as a host of players got to four-under but fell back on the back nine, which played 2.35 over par compared to 0.73 for the front.

Six players — Castle’s Robert Moran, Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan, Dun Laoghaire’s Robert Abernethy and Ross Halpin, Carton House’s Keith Egan and Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell — shot three-under 67s to lead by one stroke from a six-strong chasing posse on a day when the field averaged three-over 73 in a testing, 20 mph breeze.

Galway Bay’s Andrew Hickey, Slieve Russell’s Shane McDermott, Portumna’s Sam Murphy, Thurles’ Aaron Ryan, Carton House’s Paul O'Hanlon and Kinsale’s Cathal Butler were lurking on two-under with defending champion Hugh Foley from Royal Dublin in a four-man group on one-under alongside former winner Robbie Cannon from Balbriggan, Athenry’s Alan Hill and Powerscourt’s David Shiel.

Foley raced to the turn in five-under 30 but he found the back nine a far tougher test amongst Tullamore’s stately trees.

He double-bogeyed the 10th after losing a ball, but while he birdied the 11th, bogeyed the 12th and birdied the 13th to get back to four-under, he bogeyed the 15th, 16th and 17th to sign for a one-under 69 that left him tied 13th on a day when his clubmate Max Kennedy, one of championship favourites, struggled to a 76.

“I was flying,” Foley said. “A bad decision led to a lost ball on the 10th and but after getting it back, I just missed a few greens in the wind coming home and didn’t get up and down.

“I knew the finish was tough and even though you are downwind on 16 and 18, it’s still tough because they are quite narrow.”

Irish international Egan was pleased with his 67 after being two-over-par after four holes.

The 28-year old from Carton House bounced back impressively, making six birdies in his next nine holes before a poor drive cost him a shot at the last and the outright lead.

“I hit a few bad drives to start off but I knew I could hole a lot of putts around here,” said Egan who has changed job and is making just his third championship start this year.

“I tried to stay patient and then started to hit a few greens and the putts started going in,” said Egan, who is focussing on getting his first big amateur win after claiming scratch cup wins in Balbriggan and Kanturk this summer.

Castleknock man Coughlan took advantage of the best of the early conditions, dropping his only shot of the day at the short sixth as he set the pace with 67 in the third group of the day.

Forrest Little man McDonnell also dropped just one shot in his 67.

“Playing the Interpros down here a couple of years ago definitely helped,” McDonnel (26) said after following birdies at the eighth, ninth, 12th and 13th with a bogey at the last. “You have to be straight and shape shots both ways with the driver, so it suits me that way.

“When I made a mistake I got away with it or scrambled well or holed or good putt for par. The goal is always to make that Interpros team for Connacht again but like everyone, you always dream of that green jersey. It’s the goal for everyone. That’s always been my goal. I won’t give up until I get it.”

Kinsale’s Butler was pleased to keep the ball on the strait and narrow and open with a two-under 68 that left him just a shot off the pace.

“I was four-under with three to play but three-putted 16 and didn’t get up and down on the last but 68 is a good score,” said the 24-year-old who is keen to clinch his place on the Munster team for the Interprovincial matches at Shannon later this month. “It’s a very good test but if you keep it in the fairway, you can score and I did that well today.”

Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe was pleased with a level par 70 that left him tied 17th with the top 40 and ties who will make the cut for tomorrow’s final 36 holes on one-over or better.

“It’s a lovely course but it's all about driving it well,” O’Keeffe said. “If you can do that , you will have chances but you have to drive it well coming in.”

Former champion Cannon turned in three-under in the worst of the wind after lunch but came home in two-over for his 69.

The 476-yard 14th proved to be the toughest hole on the course, yielding just six birdies as it played 0.53 over par.

AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship, Tullamore GC (Par 70)

1st rd.

Detailed scores

67 R Moran (Castle), P Coughlan (Castleknock), R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), R Halpin (Dun Laoghaire), K Egan (Carton House), J McDonnell (Forrest Little);

68 A Hickey (Galway Bay), S McDermott (Slieve Russell), S Murphy (Portumna), A Ryan (Thurles), P O'Hanlon (Carton House), C Butler (Kinsale);

69 A Hill (Athenry), D Shiel (Powerscourt), R Cannon (Balbriggan), H Foley (Royal Dublin);

70 K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire), S Doyle (Athlone), F Kennedy (The Island), I Lynch (Rosslare), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), M Shiel (Galway Bay), C Harkin (Letterkenny), C Rafferty (Dundalk), T Finnegan (Co. Sligo), C Hickey (Dooks), J Egan (Muskerry), S O'Connell (Athenry), H Gillivan (Westport);

71 M McClean (Malone), J Law (East Cork), L Abom (Edmondstown), R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar GC), A Marshall (Lisburn), M Boucher (Carton House), N Carroll (Athlone), A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), J Hood (Galgorm Castle), T Ford (Co. Sligo), E Sullivan (Carton House), R Knightly (Royal Dublin), R Latimer (Knock);

72 P Keeling (Roganstown), E Farrell (Ardee), K McCarron (North West), P Buckley (Cork), D McCormack (Corrstown), Q Carew (Edenderry), G Dunne (Co. Louth), M Cain (Cork), E Murphy (Dundalk), C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire), C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), E Griffin (Waterford), J Whelan (Grange), J Blake (The Island), P Conroy (Enniscorthy), A Smith (Mullingar);

73 D McNicholl (Westmanstown), L O'Neill (Connemara), E Marsden (Tullamore), S Cunningham (Esker Hills), G Collins (Rosslare), R Galligan (Elm Park), M Deasy (Douglas), D Kitt (Athenry), E O'Donnell (Tralee), G Bohill (Co. Louth), T Abom (Edmondstown), L Nolan (Galway), B Best (Rathmore), H O'Hare (Fortwilliam), R Williamson (Holywood), J Lyons (Galway), D Marshall (Mount Wolseley), S Desmond (Monkstown), D Connellan (St. Anne's), J Hanney (The Island);

74 A Mulholland (Castlerock), T Plunkett (Crover House), T Dowdall (Woodbrook), K Robinson (Castlewarden), C Rabbette (Esker Hills), A McCormack (Castletroy), D O'Riordan (Fermoy), T O'Connor (Athlone), C Plower (Galway Bay), J Doherty (Carton House), D Flynn (Carton House);

75 J Kiely (Castleknock), J Mackin (Dundalk), G Callaghan (Co. Louth), S Miskelly (Knock), J Walsh (Douglas), S Downes (Royal Dublin), K Patton (Lisburn), J Fletcher (Warrenpoint), D Morgan (Carton House), B Bermingham (Carton House);

76 R Walsh Jr (Douglas), M Kennedy (Royal Dublin), J Fox (Portmarnock), P Tobin (Douglas), A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown GC), R McCrudden (Royal Portrush), A Hiney (Moate), S Egan Jr. (Tullamore), S Walker (Roscommon);

77 E Shipp (Headfort), L O'Connor (Edmondstown), J Gourley (Shandon Park), P O'Hara (Kilkenny), C Cooley (Belvoir Park), D Keating (Seapoint), M Kelly (Naas);

78 D Muldowney (Carton House), K Murray (Arklow), M Giles (Greenore), S Riordan (Muskerry), F O'Sullivan (Tralee), R McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate);

79 N McCann (Lurgan), N Hearns (Mountrath);

80 S Kenneally (Kinsale), O O'Brien (Thurles), J Boles (Charleville);

81 E Stack (Ballybunion), A Doherty (Corrstown), J Gibson (Fintona);

RTD D McAleenon (Edenmore).