Adam Buchanan and Sean Downes hit route 66 to set the pace at Lahinch
The 20-year-old Ballyclare native, who made such a splash with NAIA college Keiser University this season that he's secured a transfer to NCAA Division I ranked Louisville next month, made seven birdies and a lone bogey at the 14th to share top spot with Royal Dublin's Sean Downes on a perfect links day in west Clare.
'I won the Conference and had five top-fives,' reported Buchanan, who is also a member of Knock Golf Club. 'I was going to stay another year and then decide to transfer, but Louisville reached out, and it was too hard to turn down.'
Downes also had seven birdies in his 66 before he was joined in the lead by former Irish Boys panelist Buchanan, who claimed his first Senior win last year when he won the Ulster Men's Strokeplay at Clandeboye.
He had never played Lahinch until this week and he made it look like child's play in a light northwest wind as he birdied the second and hit a nine-iron close at the sixth before adding further birdies at the 11th, 12th and 13th.
He three-putted the 14th from the front of the green but birdied the 17th to get to five under before failing to get up and down from just short of the 18th, missing a six footer for a 65.
'I was actually really happy with it,' said Buchanan, who had only played Lahinch's opening six holes on TrackMan before his arrival in west Clare and could not have asked for a better debut. 'I left a few putts out there but pI played very solid.
'I only missed one green, and when I missed it, I was like an inch off it. So that makes life a lot easier. Maybe missed three fairways and my only bogey was a three-putt.'
Sean Downes in action at Lahinch. Pic:©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
His flighted six-iron to eight feet into the wind at the short 11th wowed his playing partners but even after a hot start, he's not heaping expectations on his shoulders.
'The goal is to make the cut,' he said. 'It would bench to get a run to the quarters or semis but we will take it as it comes."
Downes and Buchanan lead by a shot from Westport's Conor Stapleton and former Irish Close champion Quentin Carew from Castleknock Golf Club, who is also taking it one day at a time.
The 34-year-old Dublin-based Garda made eight birdies in his five-under 67 with five of those birdies coming in his last six holes.
'I am trying to get a bit more family time this year but the game is coming back,' Carew said after making four birdies in a row from the 12th and adding another at the par-five 18th.
'Coming into this, I hadn't played for two weeks after being on holidays, just hit a few balls. It's good in a way because you come in feeling more relaxed and have fewer expectations.
'This is the championship that everyone looks forward to because of the venue, the course and the views. Nobody is in bad form and even if fellas get knocked out, nobody goes home.'
After going out in two-under with a bogey at the Dell, Carew bogeyed the 10th and 11th before storming back with that late birdie run.
Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty, champion in 2018, was in a big group on three-under after a 69 but it was harder work for some of the other leading lights.
Warrenpoint's Colm Campbell, who was champion two years ago, shot a three-over 75 while last year's runner-up, Millicent's Brian Doran, signed for a 79.
It also was a mixed day for some of the veterans in the field.
While Ballybunion's Peter Sheehan shot 78 in his 40th consecutive appearance in the event, Robbie Cannon shot 70, Pat Murray a 71 and Joe Lyons a 73 in one of the more experienced threeballs on the course while Douglas' Karl Bornemann carded a 72.
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