England’s Laird Shepherd, last year’s runner-up in Thurles, is in a three-way tie at the top of the leader-board after round one of the Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship at sun-drenched Tuam Golf Club on Tuesday.

In a very congested leader-board, Shepherd is joined at the top by England team-mate Max Martin and Cameron Raymond from Newlands. All three shot two-under-par 70s to lead by one from a group of four on one under including the Irish pair of Harry Gillivan from Westport, Barry Fitzpatrick from the Castle and England’s Thomas Murray and Toby Lane.

With no player shooting level par, Alan Fahy from Bray, the lowest handicap player in the field, leads a group of 10 on one-over-par 73. Conor Purcell from Portmarnock, who finished third in the Henry Cooper Junior Masters last week, is back in joint 18th place at two-over-par 74.

All players will play the first 54 holes. The top-50 plus ties will play the final 18 holes on Friday.

Round one scores:

70 Laird Shepherd (England), Cameron Raymond (Newlands), Max Martin (England)

71 Harry Gillivan (Westport), Barry Fitzpatrick (Castle), Thomas Murray (England), Toby Lane (England)

73 Alan Fahy (Bray), Gian-Marco Petrozzi (England), John Bolger (Courtown), Matthew Grehan (Tullamore), Charlie Denvir (Milltown), Jason Murphy (Warrenpoint), Shane McDermott (Co. Cavan), Antoin Auboin (France), Eoin Leonard (Wentworth), Michael Ryan (New Ross)

74 Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu), Sean Desmond (Monkstown), Daniel O’Loughlin (England), Marc Boucher (Carton House), Mark Power (Kilkenny), Mark Healy (Kinsale), Ciaran Smyth (Greenore), Patrick Brennan (Belvoir Park), Conor Purcell (Portmarnock)

75 Simon Stefenel (France), Oliver Clarke (England), Jack Doherty (Carton House), Conor Mooney (Black Bush), Adrien Pendaries (France), John Paul Ralph (England), John Gough (England), Eric Rumley (Kinsale), Cathal Butler (Kinsale)

76 Ian Halpin (Cahir Park), Anton Brennan (Athenry), Cian Henry (Ballyhaunis), Aymeric Laussot (France), Owen Crooks (Bushfoot), Thomas Boulanger (France), John Brady (Rosslare), Thomas Mulligan (Co. Louth)

77 Conor Keown (Greystones), Harry Duggan (Kilkenny), Rhys Nevin-Wharton (England), Chris Black (Dunmurry), Hugh O’Hare (Fortwilliam), Henry Clark (Shandon Park), Eric Doran (Palmerstown Stud), John Corbett Jnr (Thurles), Rory Williamson (Holywood), Darragh Smith (Castle), Gareth Hogan (The Island)

78 Declan Kelly (Hermitage), Michael McGurk (Warrenpoint), Paul Kelly (Glasson), Louis O’Hara (Athenry), Allan Hill (Roscommon), Charlie Dawson (Faithlegg), Joseph O’Neill (Tralee), John Murphy (Kinsale), Seamus Og O Neill (Co. Cavan), Cillian Moloney (Fota Island), Darren Hourihan (Frankfield), Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick)

79 Jack Johnston (Clandeboye), Jordan Logue (Hilton Templepatrick), Michael Joseph Kennelly (Athenry), Jack Hearn (Tramore), Ben Graham (Scrabo), Yvan Ducler (France), William Small (Tandragee), Eoin Conway (West Waterford), Mark Doogue (Baltinglass), Cian Feeney (Co. Sligo), Samuel Ledbury (Belgium), Ross Nelson (), Gabriel Gribben (Fortwilliam), Reece Black (Hilton Templepatrick), Ross Kelly (Tuam), Daragh Coleman (Skerries), Paddy Culhane (Galway), Aaron Ryan (Thurles), Julian Audibert (France), Adam McCormick (Scrabo)

80 Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush), Kevin Power (Kilkenny), Nathan McCann (Lurgan), Ross Mohan (Balcarrick), Cillian Lawless (Athenry), Oisin Fitzgerald (Tralee), Marc Norton (Belvoir Park), Conor Rice (Athlone), John Molyneaux Jnr (Ballybunion), Ryan Corry (Clandeboye), Brendan Rossiter (Rosslare), Eamonn O’driscoll (Killarney), David McAleenon (Edenmore), Rory Hill (Tralee)

81 Con O’Callaghan (Kanturk), Paul Twohig (Fota Island), Benedict Cronin (Muskerry), Conor Ruane (Galway Bay Golf Club), Tommy Doran (Balbriggan), Darragh Monaghan (England), Oisin Devereux (Carton House), Jamie Knipe (Royal Portrush), Oisin Fleming (Bray), Andrew Hickey (Ballyhaunis), David Clince (Craddockstown), Mikey Burke (Galway), Luke Cummins (West Waterford), Michael O’Farrell (Galway), Gary Ward (Kinsale), Tom Groves (The Royal Dublin), Sean Dowling (Beaverstown)

82 Jack McGarry (Rosslare), Christian Kennedy (Lisburn), Dean Cafferty (Carton House), Gareth Carr (Mullingar), Darragh Herlihy (West Waterford), Rory Murphy (Dun Laoghaire), Bill Hannan (Carton House), Conor Roche (Mallow), Sean Doyle (Athlone), David Brady (Co. Sligo)

83 Shane Livesey (Monkstown), David Hill (Roscommon), Devin Morley (Oughterard), Giles Evans (England), Jack Madden (Dungannon), Stephen Kelliher (Killarney), Jack Brophy (The Royal Dublin), Cian Commins (Ardee)

84 Jake Vickers (Balbriggan), Shasa Decker (Belgium), Daniel O’Sullivan (Douglas), MICHAEL SHIEL (Athenry), Marc McCormack (Ashbourne), AJ McCabe (Malahide)

85 Sean Burke (Galway), Luke Donnelly (Kilkenny), James O’Connor (Muskerry), Niall Hearns (Mountrath)

86 Robert Moran (Castle), Giles Gill (England)

87 Ciaran Henry (Strandhill), Louis Bellan (France), TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), Rory Dineen (Cork)

89 Robert Browne (Castle), Edward Walsh (Mallow)

90 Daniel Curry (Coollattin Golf Club)

92 Jack Patton (Letterkenny Golf Club)

NR Thomas Martin (Waterford Castle)

DQ Sean Enright (Doneraile)