Pat Lyons fired a one-under par 70 to lay down an early marker on day one of the Irish Seniors Close Championship at Kilkenny Golf Club
The Corkonian was the only man to break par and leads the field by two with Greystones golfer Barry O’Leary and Castletroy’s Eamon Haugh in hot pursuit at plus-one after opening 72’s.
The Irish Seniors Close, now 10 years old, was first staged in 2009 at Roscommon. That first championship was won by Maurice Kelly and he retained his title the following year at Blainroe.
Kelly triumphed again in 2014, at Tullamore, and in 2015, at Grange. Kelly won for a fifth time at Enniscrone in 2018 and the winner of this year’s Championship will receive the Maurice Kelly Trophy following a decision by the Golfing Union of Ireland to name the trophy after the five time champion, who passed away on 28 December last.
Played over 54 holes, the championship is open to male players over 50 years of age. The top 45 players, plus ties, will qualify for the third round on Friday 5 July, with the proviso that at least two over 70s, three over 65s and four over 60s are included in this number.
Full Scoring HERE
70 P Lyons (Cork)
72 B O’Leary (Greystones); E Haugh (Castletroy)
73 P Purdy (Shandon Park); N Duke (Killiney); B Hobson (Malone)
74 T Cleary (Woodstock); A Condren (Greystones); J O’Brien (Castlemartyr); P Sheehan (Ballybunion); J Mitchell (Tramore); A Egan (Royal Curragh); S Underwood (Co Sligo); J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown)
75 P Higgins (Naas); C Lally (Blainroe); L Connolly (Wexford); H O’Leary (Muskerry); S Graham (Doneraile); G McGimpsey (Royal Portrush); D O’Neill (The Links Portmarnock); A McDonald (Kilkenny)
76 B Loftus (Lahinch); M Quirke (Doneraile); J Joyce (Borris); D Mulholland (Castlerock)
77 P Murphy (Killarney); D Brabazon (Balbriggan); L Halpin (Westport); D Varian (Dun Laoghaire); B Daish (Dun Laoghaire); T Tyrrell (The Heath); J Garvey (Seapoint); S Alley (Co Tipperary); C Donovan (Portarlington); E Rogers (Dundalk); A Moran (Tuam); J Grant (The Island); D Lowans (Dun Laoghaire)
78 T Lennon (Carlow); K Bornemann (Douglas); J Crangle (Fortwillam); F Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown); B Lavery (Belvoir Park); C Walshe (Dundalk); R Fitzgerald (Tramore); C Murphy (Clandeboye); H Smyth (Mourne); N Mannion (Dun Laoghaire)
79 M Scott (Hollystown); D O’Donovan (Bandon); J O’Malley (Rathdowney); J Crean (Kinsale); B Cunningham (Carton House); R Guilfoyle (Kilkenny); T McClements (Clandeboye); T Cleary (Cork); R Timlin (Galway); J Williams (Castle); A Brannock (Newlands); B Donlon (Birr); D Smith (Millicent)
80 M Gaynor (Co Meath); M Darcy (Tullamore); L Kelly (Kilkenny); R Duggan (Kilkenny); P Madigan (Waterford Castle)
81 P Cowley (Cork); J Whelan (Athenry); M Chambers (Royal Dublin)
82 T Hayes (Co Louth); J Crowley (The Island); V Smyth (Co Louth); I Smyth (Clandeboye); F Leonard (Knightsbrook); L Doran (Co Louth); J McVeigh (Carlow); M O’Neill (Clonmel); T Byrne (Greystones); E Power (Kilkenny)
83 J Dempsey (Royal Curragh); P Phelan (Cahir Park); A Cleere (Kilkenny); M Galvin (Castleknock); D Brophy (Kilkenny); T Griffin (Corballis Links)
84 B McDonnell (K Club); P Carbin (Athenry); G O’Sullivan (Tralee); M Windebank (Portstewart); J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin); A Smith (Blainroe)
85 M Shortall (Kilkenny); J O’Sullivan (Fota Island); N McGrane (Royal Dublin)
86 F Moriarty ( Thurles); I Brown (Kilkenny)
87 T Butler (Kilkenny); M Davey (Mourne); M Higgins (Connemara)
88 R Curtin (Kilkenny); J Burke (Kilkenny); B O’Malley (Royal Dublin); G Finn (Cork)
89 F Dalton (Kilkenny)
90 A Murphy (Co Sligo); S Healy (Galway)
93 D Sheedy (Lahinch)
NR A Bell (Greencastle); K Knightly (Royal Dublin)
RTD K Sheehy (Athlone); J Carroll (Co Louth)
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