Hugh Foley is the leading Irishman and trails Casey Jarvis and Ben Murray by five strokes after the first round of the Scottish Amateur Championship at Cruden Bay.
Conditions proved tough with just Jarvis and Murray shooting under par as they both signed for two under 68s to share the lead after the opening day.
Royal Dublin’s Foley is in a promising position on three-over after an opening 73 and he is in a share of 21st place.
The former Irish Close and West of Ireland champion got off to the ideal start with an opening birdie but the tough conditions soon caught up with him as he turned in 37.
A bogey on the fifth was cancelled out by a birdie on the eighth but a double-bogey six on the ninth stalled his momentum and he couldn’t recover it on the back nine.
Still, it was a solid inward effort from the Clontarf native who certainly didn’t shoot himself out of the mix with bogeys on 14 and 16.
Malone’s Matthew McClean was the man in form arriving in Scotland with a runner-up and third-place finishes in his last two outings.
However, he struggled to a four-over 74 that included five bogeys and just the solitary birdie.
Elm Park’s Charlie Denvir is a shot further back after an opening 75. The Elm Park golfer had an eventful round, throwing in a pair of double-bogey sixes and an eagle two on the eighth.
Roganstown’s Sean Keeling came through the qualifier on Tuesday and he is six-over after a 76 and he is alongside reigning South of Ireland champion TJ Ford of Rosses Point.
Surprisingly, Carton House man Marc Boucher is on ten-over after an opening 80 and he is languishing alongside Enniscorthy’s Paul Conroy.
Defending champion Callan Barrow is on plus seven, while Brabazon Trophy winner Christiaan Maas is on two-over.
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