Golf:Alan Dunbar fired a three under par 68 on the opening day of the 115th British Amateur Championship where qualifying into the matchplay stages takes place at Muirfield and North Berwick.
The Rathmore golfer lead the Irish charge after his score at North Berwick where strong winds made conditions difficult. It left him just one shot off the pace in the first of two qualifying rounds before the top 64 and ties to qualify to the knock-out stages from Wednesday onwards.
Dunbar did all his scoring on the back nine to come home in 31 to rectify a lacklustre outward half. He made birdies at the 10th, 11th, 15th and 16th.
“It was poor going out but coming back I was delighted. I have no targets this week - I’ll just see what happens,” said Dunbar after his round.
East of Ireland champion Cian Curley returned a solid 70 at Muirfield, while Laytown's Robert Cannon carded a 70 at North Berwick, one better than Paul Cutler and Paul O’Kane. Portmarnock’s James Fox and the Castle’s Dara Lernihan shot 72 at Muirfield.
British Amateur Championship – First qualifying round leading scores
Muirfield:68- K Pratt (Australia); 69 H Norlander (Swden), A Ching (USA) 70 A Levey (France),A Pavan (Italy),J Jeong (South Korea),C Cossins (Bath),T Fleetwood (Formby Hall),c Curley (Newlands) A Sullivan (Nuneaton), A Shakespeare (Five Lakes).
Irish scores:72 J Fox (Portmarnock), D Lernihan (Castle); 75 A Hogan (Newlands), P Dunne (Greystones).
North Berwick: 67 I Winstanley (Formby),E Cuartero (Spain), R Enoch (Truro), M Stewart (Troon Welbeck); 68 A Friestad (Norway),T Hakula (Finland),P Westermann (Germany), J Byrne ( Banchory), L Canter (Saltford),M Kieffer (Germany), A Dunbar (Rathmore),X Feyaerts (Belgium),E Espana (France).
Irish scores:70 R Cannon (Laytown and Bettystown) 71 P Cutler (Portstewart),P O'Kane (Moyola Park) 74 R Leonard (Banbridge), 76 L Lennox (Moyola Park).