Keeling and Abom set the pace with 66s in Irish Close at Dun Laoghaire
Seán Keeling on Day One of the AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close Championship at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club. Thos Caffrey / Golffile
“Pretty solid” was how Seán Keeling described his opening six-under 66 on day one of the AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close Championship, an understated estimation of an impressive bogey-free round which has the young Roganstown golfer sharing top spot with fellow Irish underage international Thomas Abom from Edmondstown.
Keeling (17) came to Dun Laoghaire in fantastic form, having gone unbeaten in Scotland when contributing to Ireland’s title-winning performance at the Women's and Men's Home Internationals, and he picked up right where he left off, making four birdies in his opening nine holes, including three in a row from the fourth,
The Flogas Irish Boys’ Amateur Open champion settled into a rhythm on the back nine, with consecutive pars all the way up to 17 where he carded his fifth birdie of the day, before finishing off with a chip in for birdie on the last.
“Good start. Pretty solid, made no mistakes, so yeah, happy enough, can’t complain, just go out the next few days and do the same again,” said Keeling.
“Played pretty solid tee to green just fairways, greens and gave myself plenty of looks so yeah just overall happy with everything.”
Earlier in the week, playing partner for his opening two rounds, Mullingar Scratch Trophy champion Brian Doran said that “Seán at the minute is like the next Rory”, and with a performance like the one he produced this morning, he will do little to dissuade those comparisons. Though happy to take the compliment, the Junior Ryder Cup star is entirely focused on being “the next Seán Keeling”.
“It’s a very good thing I suppose. Nothing but positive really. I’m just trying to do my own thing, whatever it is, it is.”
Thomas Abom keeps Keeling company at the summit, the Edmondstown golfer blemishing his card only twice as he carded eight birdies and two bogeys for his 18 holes, the putter key to his opening round success.
“Got hot on the back nine there so I’m very happy, rolling in a lot of putts. Just nice to get off to a good start” said Abom.
“I played the scratch cup here a month ago, and the pins were crazy, so it’s kind of like it can’t get any harder than that, so it was actually nice; the pins were a bit more generous today, and I was able to make use of them. Three rounds left, so still a long way to go, so just try and continue the form from today.”
The impressive scoring continued as the afternoon rounds took to the course, with Slieve Russell’s Shane McDermott the best of the late starters, signing for a five-under round of 67 to take the solo third spot.
Another player delighted with his Friday was Richard Sykes. The local member using course knowledge to his advantage when carding a -4 round of 68 which included five birdies and an eagle three on the fifth.
“Happy enough, came in here after the All-Ireland’s last week, bitter disappointment but knowing this is my last tournament of the year, knowing the field was going to be very strong as well and the course was going to be set up very difficult, absolutely delighted with how I started off the hopefully 72 holes of the Close, it was a great day out there and couldn’t ask for really any more” said Sykes.
“To be fair I think they did a really great job in setting the course up, there wasn’t anything that was on the borderline of unfair, I think that kind of shows in the early morning scores anyway. Hopefully, it stays the same, but there are a few spicy ones, I think, out there waiting for us over the next few days. definitely, the local knowledge helps hugely.
“It’s been a good run for the club this year, and I think we have made leaps and bounds out on the course, and it’s really making a status throughout Ireland, so it’s good to have the Close here, and hopefully, I can keep the form going.”
AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship, Dun Laoghaire GC (Par 72)
66 Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Sean Keeling (Roganstown);
67 Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell);
68 Gavin O'Neill (Malahide), Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire);
69 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth), Brian Doran (Millicent);
70 Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Josh McCabe (Roganstown Golf & Country Club), Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy), Mark Shanahan (Rosslare), Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin);
71 Kevin LeBlanc (The Island), James McMaster (Holywood), Jake Whelan (Grange), David Shiel (Enniscrone), Quentin Carew (Castleknock);
72 Donnacha Cleary (Tipperary), Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin), Colin Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), Jake Foley (Elm Park), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Conor Byrne (Strabane), Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), Luke O’Neill (Connemara Golf Links), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock), Conor Hickey (Dooks);
73 James Walsh (Douglas), Evan Shipp (Headfort), Ruairi O'Connor (Co.Sligo), David Brady (Straffan), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin), Darren McCormack (Corrstown), Calum Ward
(Carton House), Adam Smith (Mullingar), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), Aodhagan Brady (Co.Sligo), Brendan Smyth (Howth), Lewis Gowdy (Bangor), TJ Ford (Co. Sligo);
74 Jack Blake (The Island), Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park), William Walshe (Delgany), Seán McLoughlin (Co. Sligo, Louis Goodman (Co. Louth), Adam Kelly (Portarlington), Adam McCormick (Scrabo), Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint), Michael Eastwood (Belvoir Park), Jason Rackard (Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club), David Lally (Blainroe), David Marshall (Naas), Ian Lynch (Rosslare), Michael Nicholson (Antrim), Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Darragh Flynn (Carton House);
75 Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Evan Colley (Grange), Dean O’Riordan (Fermoy), David Reddan (Nenagh), Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), Simon Walker (Roscommon);
76 Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell), Adam Fahey (Portmarnock), Lucas Lyons (Limerick), Gary Cullen (Malahide), David O’Malley (Black Bush), Cathal MacCanna (Carton House), Ryan McNelis (Fintona), Mark Allen (Florida State Golf Association), Daniel McKenna (Co. Louth), Charlie Smyth (PGA National Slieve Russell), David Kitt (Athenry), Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House), Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), Mark Doogue (Castleknock), Eoin Leonard (Wentworth), Aaron Naughton (Hermitage);
77 Mark Cadden (Roganstown), Peter Kirby (Dun Laoghaire), Robert Walsh (Douglas), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate), Colm Hughes (Galway), Tadhg Burns (Headfort), Conal Keenan (Belvoir Park), Thomas Plunkett (Crover House), Graham Callaghan (Co. Louth), Evan Farrell (Co. Louth), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Ian O’Connell (Castleknock), Morgan O’Sullivan (Ballyneety);
78 Ryan Lyons (Blarney), Eoin Magill (East Clare), Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye), Alan Donnelly (Milltown), Cian Harkin (Letterkenny), Ryan O’Doherty (Enniscrone), Dave Lowry (Corrstown), Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), David Howard (Fota island), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk);
79 Stephen Lindsay (Ardglass), Timothy Jordan (Dungannon), James Stenson (The Island), Mark McKenna (Dun Laoghaire), Jack Murphy (Fota Island), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock), Eoin O'Carroll (St Anne's), Paddy Quill (Cork), Ciaran Smyth (Ballinasloe);
80 Rafael Poli (Helen's Bay)
81 Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), Conor Stapleton (Connemara), Ben Murray (Lee Valley), John Dillon (Lahinch), Patrick Curran (Edmondstown), Sean Cooper (Enniscorthy);
82 Sean O’Connell (Athenry), Ryan Murray (Balmoral), Benjamin Doggett (Co. Louth);
83 Marc Norton (Belvoir Park), Jack McGrath (Dun Laoghaire), Marc Nolan (Dun Laoghaire), Harley Phipps (Co. Louth), Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay);
88 Adam Hanley (Carton House);
89 Josh Higgins (Donabate);
WD Matthew McClean (Malone) 81;
DNF Johnny Napier (Scrabo).