Royal Dublin’s Jack McDonnell continued his love affair with Baltray when he fired a superb six-under 66 to claim the first-round lead in the Kingspan-sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Open.

While he’s still a Forrest Little stalwart, the Dubliner (29) was thrilled to accept membership of the Bull Island club this year and the extra links experience paid off in perfect conditions at County Louth where 28 players broke par

He made six birdies to lead by a shot from Portmarnock’s Geoff Lenehan and Roscommon’s Simon Walker and by two from his Royal Dublin clubman Max Kennedy and Blainroe’s David Lally.

“I am a member of Forrest Little as well, but Royal Dublin was kind enough to accept me,” he said. "As we play all our championships on links courses, it’s definitely helped.”

Starting on the back nine in the morning wave in a fresh links breeze, McDonnell birdied the 14th, 15th and 16th to turn in 32 before picking up further shots at the second, fourth and ninth.

“Even though I didn’t clean up in the par-fives, I played well,” said McDonnell, who was joint second two years ago and tied sixth in 2022. “Baltray has been good to me recently, but it’s taken a few years. This is my ninth East.

“I love the course. You have to shape the driver both ways and hit draws and fades, which suits me.

"The greens are not big, so you don't have to rely on your pace putting all day, which would be the weakest side of my game.”

McDonnell started his birdie run with a deft pitch to three feet, followed by a perfectly judged breaking putt at the short par-four 14th.

“The key to Baltray is par the pat threes and birdie a few of the par fives,” McDonnell said.

“The par fives are birdie chances, they are all gettable but if you are just off then it can turn into a tough par. I didn’t birdie enough of them today but that is the plan tomorrow.

“The first few holes on the back nine, that time of the morning you just want to hit them to 20 feet, take two putts and walk on stress-free.

“You always have a chance on 14 if you get a drive away. That’s what I did, hit one close there, to three feet and then took care of itself from there. Just got my run going.”

Lenehan (36) was pleasantly surprised to make six birdies in a five-under 67 in the first group off the first on a day on a perfect day for links golf.

“I was happy to just be there, to be honest,” said the former Mullingar Scratch Cup winner, who has just moved house with his wife and 11-month-old daughter and was playing only his sixth round this year.  

“I have very low expectations of my abilities, which may be a helpful thing. I three-putted the first from 15 feet, but it was very solid after that. I didn't hit the ball great, but just kept it in the right places and holed a couple of putts at the right time.”

Walker went bogey-free to join Lenehan on five-under while Kennedy and Lally each had six birdies and two bogeys in their 68s.

Seapoint’s Dylan Keating, whose caddie Barry Reddan was celebrating the 40th anniversary on his East win, shot 69 to share sixth with Norway’s Marcus Audun Goosen and 2014 champion Colm Campbell from Warrenpoint, the reigning South of Ireland champion, who played in the final group of the day from the 10th.

Recently crowned Flogas Irish Amateur Open champion Matt McClean birdied four of his last seven holes on the back nine to post a 70 that left him tied ninth with Co Louth’s Evan Farrell, Malahide’s Gavin O’Neil, Grange’s Jake Whelan and Portmarnock’s Eoin Sullivan

Several fancied contenders dipped under par with Caolan Rafferty, runner-up for the past two years, carding a one-under 71 to sit in a 14-man log-jam for 14th alongside championship winners such as Co Sligo’s TJ Ford, Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley, Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe and Belvoir Park’s Simon Ward.

West of Ireland champion Keith Egan made a double bogey seven at the third and carded a 73 to sit just outside the top 41 and ties who will make the halfway cut on Sunday evening ahead of Monday’s final two rounds.

There were two hole-in-ones in round one with Dooks’ Conor Hickey acing the 15th in a 71 and Portmarnock’s James Temple making his at the fifth in a 73.

East of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Kingspan, County Louth GC (Par 72)

First round:

66 Jack McDonnell (The Royal Dublin);

67 Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock), Simon Walker (Roscommon);

68 Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin), David Lally (Blainroe);

69 Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Marcus Audun Goosen (Sunnfjord GC, Nor), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint);

70 Evan Farrell (Co Louth), Gavin O'Neill (Malahide), Matthew McClean (Malone), Jake Whelan (Grange), Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock);

71 TJ Ford (Co Sligo), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin), Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas), Stephen Grant (Birr), Darragh Flynn (Carton House), Matthew Grehan (Tullamore), Jack Blake (The Island), Cian O’Connor (Roscommon), David Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), Conor Hickey (Dooks), Simon Ward (Belvoir Park), Brian Doran (Millicent), Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu), Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell);

72 Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House), Luke O’Neill (Connemara Golf Links), Gary Collins (Rosslare), Morgan Cain (Cork), Adam Smith (Mullingar), Charlie Denvir (Elm Park), John Cleary (Elm Park), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate) Adam Fahey (Portmarnock), Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Ian Lynch (Rosslare), Shane Gannon (Golf Club YBrig, SUI);

73 Keith Egan (Carton House), Stephen Walsh (Baltusrol), Jonathon Keith (Inverness), Kevin LeBlanc (The Island), Calum Ward (Carton House), David Howard (Fota island), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock), David Kitt (Athenry), Shea Dorman (Bangor), Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell), James Temple (Portmarnock), Evan Monaghan (Tullamore), Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy), Sean McAufield (Ardee), Cian Harkin (Letterkenny), Seán Desmond (Monkstown), Mark Gazi (Tralee);

74 Eoin O Carroll (St Anne’s), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Jack Hearn (Tramore), Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay), Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Mark Feenan (Mourne), Edward Rowe (Belvoir Park), Dwayne Mallon (Dungannon), Matthew Giles (Greenore), Colin Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle), Adam Buchanan (Royal Portrush), Mark Mullen (Rosslare), Ryan McNelis (Fintona), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Samuel Gammell (Naas), Mark Shanahan (Rosslare), Jamie Butler (Naas), Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park);

75 Ross Latimer (Clandeboye), David Shiel (Enniscrone), David Reddan (Nenagh), Ruairi O’Connor (Co Sligo), Lewis Gowdy (Bangor), Ben Phipps (United States), Eoin Rogers (Ardee), Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin), Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Adam Cromwell (Co Armagh), Seán McLoughlin (Co Sligo), Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park), Ian O’Connell (Castleknock), Jack Phipps (Ardee), Lee O’Meara (Tullamore), Sean Cooper (Enniscorthy);

76 Joe O Neill (Berehaven), Mark Doogue (Castleknock), Theodor M Bjørge (Aalesund, NOR), Fridtjof Farhang (Oslo, NOR), Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush);

77 Graham Callaghan (Co Louth), Quentin Carew (Castleknock), Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park), Darren McCormack (Corrstown), James Stenson (The Island), Gerard Dunne (Co Louth), Ryan Murray (Balmoral), Daniel Werner Nilsson (Oslo, NOR), Sean Murphy (Grange), Gareth Bohill (Co Louth), Gordon Sillett (Ballykisteen), Mikkel Bergum Johansen (Drøbak GK, NOR);

78 Jake Foley (Elm Park), Tom Cafferky (Ballinasloe), Shane O'Neill (Malahide), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Dean O’Riordan (Fermoy), Stephen Healy (Royal Dublin);

79 Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth), Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), Sean Reddy (Douglas);

80 Adam Doran (Co Louth), Cornelius Farhang (Oslo, NOR);

81 Edward Reed (Royal Birkdale), Lucas McKeen (Co Louth);

82 Mark Cadden (Roganstown);

83 Donal O’Reilly (Farnham Estate), Robert Walsh (Douglas);

85 Harley Phipps (Co Louth);

NR David Keenaghan (Mullingar), Craig Kelly (Grange Castle), Jason Law (East Cork)