Such is the level of amateur golf these days that not even squally showers and westerly whipping over 25 mph could stop 42 players from firing sub-par scores in the opening round of the Pierse Motors-sponsored 122nd South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch

Softened by summer rains, the Co Clare links was a green paradise for the 150-strong field yesterday when Castleknock’s Ian O’Connell and Ballybofey and Stranorlar’s Ryan Griffin carded six-under 66s to top the leaderboard after the first qualifying round,

They lead by a shot from Naas’ Jamie Butler, Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill and Berehaven’s Joe O’Neill in the battle to make the 64 qualifiers for tomorrow’s matchplay stages.

Co Sligo's Aodhagan Brady, Fermoy’s Dean O’Riordan, Carton House’s Darragh Flynn and impressive Danish raider Mads Jensen shot 69s to tie for ninth as defending champion Colm Campbell from Warrenpoint opened with a 70 that left him joint 13th.

Griffin, who impressed for the International team in the recent Arnold Palmer Cup matches at Lahinch, made an eagle and six birdies in his 66 to set the pace

But 26-year-old O’Connell was thrilled to match him and go bogey-free in the worst of the afternoon weather

“Aye, just short,” he said after he failed with an 18-footer for a closing birdie that would have given him the outright lead. “I started steady with six pars and got in trouble on seven and holed a 35-footer for par there and then started rolling the putter for the rest of the round.  

“The putts were dropping. I’ve never had a low round like that in a championship so I am just delighted.”

A Senior Cup and Barton Shield player with Castleknock, O’Connell felt so calm he didn’t realise he’d gone bogey-free, and he’s hopeful now he can finally make the cut in the championship.  

“Maybe I’ve finally figured it out,” he beamed as misty rain reduced visibility for the late finishers.

He made an eight-footer for a two at the eighth, tapped in from short range for another birdie at the ninth, then made a 30-footer at the 10th to go three-under before making another hat-trick of birdies at the 13th, 14th and 15th

Griffin, who is about to start his Masters at Maynooth University, cancelled out bogeys at the third and 15th with birdies at the first, eighth, 11th, 13th, 17th and 18th and an eagle three at the fourth.

“I’ve good memories here,” said the 24-year-old, who lost to Campbell in the quarter-finals last year but went on to win the R&A Student Series last winter to secure a Palmer Cup call-up.

“It started off with a nasty shower, and the first four holes were very tough, but it was lovely after that; a bit breezy, but we’re used to that down here

Griffin, who played in LIV Golf’s Promotion Series event in Abu Dhabi last season, is looking to notch his first Irish major win but his first task is to make the matchplay draw tonight.

He’s well-placed to do that as he and O’Connell lead by a shot from Naas’ Jamie Butler, Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill and Berehaven’s Joe O’Neill.

Blainroe’s Conor Dean (26), a son of former Ireland rugby out-half Paul Dean, shot an impressive 68 on his debut at Lahinch to share sixth place with Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins and Nenagh’s David Reddan.

An out-half in the oval ball game, he had some local knowledge on the bag in Lahinch member and St Mary’s College RFC teammate Andrew Walsh, dropping his only shot of the day at the 17th.

Defending champion Campbell was tied for 16th with the likes of veteran Pat Murray, the 2012 champion, but 2022 winner Hugh Foley from Royal Dublin has work to do to make the cut after opening with a 74.

122nd South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen, Lahinch GC (Par 72)

Detailed scores

66 Ian O’Connell (Castleknock), Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar);

67 Jamie Butler (Naas), Gavin O’Neill (Malahide), Joe O’Neill (Berehaven);

68 Conor Dean (Blainroe), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), David Reddan (Nenagh);

69 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo), Dean O’Riordan (Fermoy), Mads Jensen (Odense Eventyr, Denmark),  Darragh Flynn (Carton House);

70 Cathal Penney (Athenry), Cian O’Connor (Roscommon), Quentin Carew (Castleknock), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Stephen Loftus (Lahinch), Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), Pat Murray (Tramore), TJ Ford (County Sligo), Niels Knudsen (Lyngbygaard, Denmark);

71 Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park), Shane McDermott (PGA National Slieve Russell), Michael Roche (Harpenden Common, England), Seán Desmond (Monkstown), James Walsh (Douglas), Brian Doran (Millicent),  David Kitt (Athenry), Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint), David Shiel (Enniscrone), Jack McDonnell (The Royal Dublin), Jack Hearn (Tramore), Jake Foley (Elm Park), Gerard Dunne (Co Louth), Evan Farrell (Co Louth), Julius Lange (Hubbelrath, Ger), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock), Keith Egan (Carton House), Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo), Jake Whelan (Grange);

72 James Marriott (West Surrey UK), Senan Carroll (Ballybunion), Ross McKeever (Castle), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Patrick Adler (North Shore USA), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Conor Hickey (Dooks), Colm Hughes (Galway);

73 Aaron McNulty (Lahinch), Joe Lyons (Galway), Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Sean McAufield (Ardee), David Howard (Fota island), Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth), Finlay Eager (Royal Belfast);

74 Patrick Keeling (Roganstown), Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay), Tomás Pepper (Ardee), Mark Gazi (Tralee), Ciaran Vaughan (Limerick), William Hemauer (Bluemound, USA), Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), Robert Walsh (Douglas), Conor Byrne (Strabane), Morgan O’Sullivan (Ballyneety), Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle), David Lally (Blainroe), Mark Doogue (Castleknock), Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin);

75 Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint), Dylan Cairn (Royal Troon), Jack Blake (The Island), Gary Collin (Rosslare), Danny Lyne (Lahinch), Morgan Cain (Cork), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Jack Connolly (Portmarnoc), Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy), Simon Walker (Roscommon), Rory McConnell (Belvoir Pak), Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay), Cian Harkin (Letterkenny), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire);

76 David O’Malley (Black Bush), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Luke O’Neill (Connemara), Sean Deas (Douglas), Conor Clarke (Balmoral), Calum Ward (Carton House), Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park), Ciaran Murphy (Grange), Aaron Naughton (Hermitage) Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire);

77 David Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy), Paul O’Hanlon (Carton House) Darren O’Sullivan (Tralee), Dominic Dougan (Trump International), Ruairi O’Connor (Co Sligo), Evan Monaghan (Tullamore), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate), Ronan McCrory (Lurgan), James Stenson (The Island), Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush), Ian Lynch (Rosslare), Darren McCormack (Corrstown), Lewis Gowdy (Bangor), Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay);

78 Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu), Colum Kenny (Portmarnock), Jack Pierse (Portmarnock), Adam Smith (Mullingar), Conor Stapleton (Connemara), Ryan Lyons (Douglas), Dan Byrne (The Els Club Dubai), Ryan Lundh (Royal Antwerp, Belgium), Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle);

79 Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Sean Reddy (Douglas), Sean Cooper (Enniscorthy), Lorcan O’Connor (Edmondstown), Shea Dorman (Bangor), Tom Cafferky (Ballinasloe), Aidan Dooley (Carton House), David Marshall (Naas), Robert Galligan (Elm Park);

80 Oscar Cuthbert (Harpenden Common, England), Jonathon Keith (Inverness, Scotland), Jason Rackard (Bunclody), Conor McGrogan (The Heritage), Sean Murphy (Grange), Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), Donnacha Cleary (Tipperary), Shane O’Neill (Malahide), Valdemar Hundeboll (Silkeborg), Robbie Hynes (Royal Dublin);

81 Jack Murphy (Douglas);

82 Sean Gallagher (Castleknock), Jack Phipps (Ardee), Alex King (Faithlegg);

83 Justin Nagy (Henderson Lake, Canada);

84 Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion), Rob Fitzpatrick (Naas), Charlie Smyth (PGA National Slieve Russell);

87 James Temple (Portmarnock);

DQ James McGeoch (The Berkshire).