Gavin O’Neill and Fionn Dobbin lead the Irish charge after day one of the St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf.
Playing the New Course for starters, both players carded two-under rounds of 69 to sit just outside the top-20 and four shots off the lead held by Veikka Viskari, Mischa Candinas, Filippo Ponzano and Rodolphe Cicala.
O’Neill of Malahide was plain sailing through twelve holes after birdies on the 3rd and 12th. His only bogey came on the par-3 13th but he finished on a high with a closing birdie to give himself a spring in his step heading to the Old Course.
Malone man Dobbin went about things a different way. After finding himself one-over through nine holes he went on a charge towards the clubhouse with birdies on 13, 16 and 17 to finish in the red and spring up the leaderboard.
Keith Egan of Carton House is a shot further back after a one-under 70 and he is alongside Walker Cup star Gavin Tiernan.
East of Ireland champion Stuart Grehan carded a level-par 71 alongside Jonathan Keane while Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins is one-over after a 72.
Colm Campbell, David Howard and Sean Keeling all have work to do to make the top-40 and ties who qualify for the final two rounds.
Scoring HERE
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