Local boy makes good at Co Sligo

County Sligo's Gary McDermott carded a five-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead over the field on his debut in the Standard Life West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at a sun-kissed Rosses Point yesterday.

Two years ago the 23-year-old bank official shot the same score in the captain's prize but was not entitled to the blue-riband prize as he was not a fully fledged member of the club at the time.

"I only became a full member in January," said McDermott after a round that included an eagle and five birdies.

"But this is a special score. It is a weight off the shoulders to get off to a decent start, because I didn't want to have to go out and shoot a low score tomorrow.

"I will sleep well tonight. You want to play well in front of your fellow club-members and that makes it all the harder. I was nervous during the week rather than on the first tee. I just wanted to get out there and play in my first West."

Making the top 64 in tonight's matchplay draw should be a walk in the park for McDermott, who was born and bred what he described as "a drive and wedge" from the gates of the club.

The first-round leader only qualified for the event under a special condition that allows non-exempt players under 25 years of age who are within a shot of the 0.8 handicap cut-off point to take their place in the field.

But 1.3 handicapper McDermott proved his worth by covering the front nine in six-under-par 30, before coming home in one-over 36 to take the lead over former Irish Close champion John McGinn of Laytown and Bettystown, and North West's Michael McGeady.

After a cool, blustery start to the day, the sun shone brightly from mid morning and 23 of the 129-man field took advantage of perfect scoring conditions to break the exacting par of 71.

Early starter McDermott was out in the sixth group of the day at 7.45am but still required two drivers to reach pin-high on the 450-yard par-four 17th at midday.

After a calming birdie at the opening hole, he two-putted the long third to go two under, and then reduced the par-five fifth to a drive, a wedge and eight-foot putt for an eagle.

He picked up further birdies at the seventh and eighth.

A birdie at the par-three ninth would have yielded an outward nine of 29, but his 15-foot putt missed on the low side, and he soon visited bogey territory with three putts at the 10th.

He got that shot back at the long 12th, but handed it straight back to the course at the 17th where his 230-yard approach with a driver finished in a muddy lie just off the green from where he failed to save par.

Irish international McGeady and McGinn finished with four-under-par rounds of 67 to trail McDermott by one, while pre-tournament favourites Rory McIlroy, of Holywood, and Co Sligo's Seán McTernan cruised round in 68.

That score was later matched by Keith Crowley of Lee Valley, Mallow's David Finn and Donal O'Brien of Laytown and Bettystown.