Keating and Burke lead Irish stroke-play with 71s

Australian Stacey Keating, beaten in a play-off for the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews last Sunday evening, continued her good run of form to fire a two under par 71 to share the lead with England's Hannah Burke after the first round of the Irish women's open amateur strokeplay championship over 54 holes at Newlands Golf Club, Dublin this weekend.
Keating, touring Europe this summer with the players who won the team event for Australia at the St Rule Trophy, and Burke, just home from Baylor University, Texas, lead by one stroke from St Andrews University student and Welsh international Gemma Bradbury and Majorca-based Scot Lauren Mackin who both signed for 72.
Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) leads the Irish challenge on 74 with Gillian O'Leary (Cork) one shot further back.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 73 CSS 76
71 Stacey Keating (AUS), Hannah Burke (Eng).
72 Gemma Bradbury (WAL) Lauren Mackin (Sco).
73 Julie Yang (SCO)
74 Tara Davies (WAL) Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth) Ashley Ona (AUS)
75 Nikki Foster (ENG) Charlotte Wild (ENG) Louise Kenney (SCO) Gillian O'Leary (Cork) Amy Boulden (WAL) Kelly Tidy (ENG)
76 Amy Farrell (Moate) Leigh Whittaker (GER) Charlotte Ellis (ENG) Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush)
77 Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway) Monique Smit (RSA) Megan Briggs (SCO) Charlie Douglass (ENG) Jessica Speechley (AUS), Justine Lee (AUS) Laura Murray (SCO) Nicola Roessler (GER)
78 Katherine O'Connor (WAL) Mary Dowling (New Ross) Caroline Murphy (Grange)
79 Karen O'Neill (Douglas) Karen Delaney (Carlow)
80 Hermione Fitzgerald (ENG) Roseanne Niven (SCO) Claire Hargan (SCO) Niamh O'Connor (Woodbrook) Fiona Briggs (ENG)
81 Emma Sheffield (ENG) Anne McCormack (Roscommon) Sinead Benedetti (Roscommon) Sarah Helly (Enniscrone) Laura McCarthy (Muskerry) Aedin Murphy (Carlow)
82 Samantha Birks (WAL) Anna Carling (WAL) Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor) Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge)
83 Sue Phillips (Woodbrook) Paula Grant (Lisburn) Agnes Doherty (Ballyliffin) Maria Dunne (Skerries)
84 Suzy Hayes (Hermitage) Ellie Robinson (ENG)
85 Shauna O'Brien (Clonmel) Mary Leahy Browne (Kilkenny) Verity Scott (ENG)
86 Lily Owens (Malahide) Sandra Atkinson (Woodbrook)
87 Louise Coffey (Malone) Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) Kate Gallagher (Claremorris) Jennifer Gannon (Co. Louth) Alisa Theunis (LUX)
88 Jenna Birch (ENG)
89 Emma Murphy (Wexford) Caoimhe Quinn (Dungannon)
92 Jessica Carty (Hollywood)
94 Barbara Cooney (Laytown & Bettystown)
RTD Jenny Hennessy (Ennis)
DSQ Holly Robinson (Co. Sligo)

TEAM EVENT (2 scores from 3 to count each round)
145 AUSTRALIA Justine Lee (77) Stacey Keating 71 Ashley Ona 74
146 WALES Amy Boulden (75) Gemma Bradbury 72 Tara Davies 74
147 ENGLAND Hannah Burke 71 Charlie Douglass (77) Charlotte Ellis 76
151 IRELAND Mary Dowling (78) Gillian O'Leary 75 Charlene Reid 76
152 SCOTLAND Megan Briggs 77 Louise Kenney 75 Laura Murray (77)