Matthew McClean carded a course record 64 at Seapoint Golf Links to get his defence of the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship off to the perfect start.
Glorious sunshine and a fresh breeze made for perfect links conditions and the players took advantage on a low scoring Thursday with the course record broken twice in fifteen minutes. McClean’s eight under round was good enough to pip Concra Wood’s Charlie McDonnell by a shot.
“It’s nice to get a course record, it’s not the goal to go and shoot course records but it’s always lovely to get one especially with that nice putt on the last. Putted nicely today, didn’t do a huge amount wrong held on a bit with some nice saves around the middle,” explained the former US Mid-Am winner and Walker Cup player.
“First day, course is playing tricky in a few spots in places but nice to get around and make a few birdies.”
16-year-old Galway Bay sensation Caelan Coleman threatened to steal some of McClean’s thunder. Out in the final group, the teenager found himself seven-under through eleven holes and needing an eagle to shoot 63, he found the front bunker in two on the par-5 18th.
Unfortunately he took two stabs out of the sand and missed a long range par putt but his 66 has him firmly in the mix.
McClean issued a statement that he wouldn’t be relinquishing his title without a fight with a birdie on the first, where he was the only player to hit driver, and a birdie on the third.
“Driver just suits my eye on that hole and with the wind today I can just hold up a fade and I’m short of the water, everyone plays it the way they see it and I’m the only one who saw it that way today. Thankfully got it down the middle and started off with a birdie.
A birdie on the eighth saw him breeze to three-under and he recovered from a bogey on the par-3 9th with a superb eagle on the par-5 10th which really kick-started a bulldozing run to the clubhouse.
A birdie on fourteen was followed by three in a row to finish, including a ten foot effort on the last to set the course record.
“I wasn’t thinking about the course record at all, birdied 16 and 17 and hit a good drive up the last and hit a good second shot into the last just got a flying bounce over the back. Standing over that shot it was probably there or thereabouts, scoring was going to be low today thought eight or nine might be the record but it was nice to see that putt drop on the last.”
The Malone man was in the all star grouping with former professional Stuart Grehan and Welshman Matt Roberts. They played their part in a three-ball that was a combined eighteen-under with rounds of 66 and 68 respectively – Grehan carding six birdies in a bogey-free round.
Moments before that, the numbers added up for maths teacher McDonnell as the Concra Wood man finished with four birdies and a par to briefly set the course record and lead.
McDonnell who is relatively unknown didn’t register a par until the 16th – his 7th – as he started with a brace of birdies, a brace of bogeys and a brace of birdies. A birdie on 17 gave him two two’s in three holes and he steadied the ship before rolling in four in a row from the fifth.
“I had no real form this year, last year I finished off strong and was looking forward to playing championships but started the year off terribly. I played yesterday and could feel something but still didn’t expect this to happen.
“The conditions were good today, that suited me. Links courses when they are hard don’t suit me so I like those conditions out there. I made two two’s it was good I’m not used to making so many birdies I was just more aggressive on the greens.”
Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell knows this neck of the woods well having won an East of Ireland just next door in Baltray and he had set the early target with a five-under 67 as he hunts his third Irish Amateur crown.
“I have some decent memories around here, but there is a lot of golf to play between now and Sunday so just keep the head down and hopefully I can be in the mix,” said Campbell who shares fourth with Baltray’s Gerard Dunne.
Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins is part of a logjam on four-under in 6th place with Roberts, Rian Carvill, James Walsh, David Shiel, England’s Greg Holmes and Italian Pietro Guido Fenoglio.
Irish Boys and Munster Strokeplay winner John Doyle defied an injured wrist and a poor performance off the tee to shoot a 69 to lie just outside the top-10 on three-under alongside major winners Caolan Rafferty and TJ Ford.
Scoring HERE
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