“I’ve good memories here,” said the 24-year-old, who lost to Campbell in the quarter-finals last year but went on to win the R&A Student Series last winter to secure a Palmer Cup call-up.
“It started off with a nasty shower, and the first four holes were very tough, but it was lovely after that; a bit breezy, but we’re used to that down here
Griffin, who played in LIV Golf’s Promotion Series event in Abu Dhabi last season, is looking to notch his first Irish major win but his first task is to make the matchplay draw tonight.
He’s well-placed to do that as he and O’Connell lead by a shot from Naas’ Jamie Butler, Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill and Berehaven’s Joe O’Neill.
Blainroe’s Conor Dean (26), a son of former Ireland rugby out-half Paul Dean, shot an impressive 68 on his debut at Lahinch to share sixth place with Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins and Nenagh’s David Reddan.
An out-half in the oval ball game, he had some local knowledge on the bag in Lahinch member and St Mary’s College RFC teammate Andrew Walsh, dropping his only shot of the day at the 17th.
Defending champion Campbell was tied for 16th with the likes of veteran Pat Murray, the 2012 champion, but 2022 winner Hugh Foley from Royal Dublin has work to do to make the cut after opening with a 74.
122nd South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen, Lahinch GC (Par 72)
66 Ian O’Connell (Castleknock), Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar);
67 Jamie Butler (Naas), Gavin O’Neill (Malahide), Joe O’Neill (Berehaven);
68 Conor Dean (Blainroe), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), David Reddan (Nenagh);
69 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo), Dean O’ Riordan (Fermoy), Mads Jensen (Odense Eventyr Denmark), Darragh Flynn (Carton House);
70 Cathal Penney (Athenry), Cian O’Connor (Roscommon), Quentin Carew (Castleknock), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Stephen Loftus (Lahinch), Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), Pat Murray (Tramore), TJ Ford (County Sligo), Niels Knudsen (Lyngbygaard Denmark);
71 Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park), Shane McDermott (PGA National Slieve Russell), Michael Roche (Harpenden Common England), Seán Desmond (Monkstown), James Walsh (Douglas), Brian Doran (Millicent), David Kitt (Athenry), Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint), David Shiel (Enniscrone), Jack McDonnell (The Royal Dublin), Jack Hearn (Tramore), Jake Foley (Elm Park), Gerard Dunne (Co Louth), Evan Farrell (Co Louth), Julius Lange (Hubbelrath, Ger), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock), Keith Egan (Carton House), Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo), Jake Whelan (Grange);
72 James Marriott (West Surrey UK),m Senan Carroll (Ballybunion), Ross McKeever (Castle), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Patrick Adler (North Shore USA), Kevin Robinso (Castlewarden), Conor Hickey (Dooks), Colm Hughes (Galway);
73 Aaron McNulty (Lahinch), Joe Lyons (Galway), Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Sean McAufield (Ardee), David Howard (Fota island), Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth), Finlay Eager (Royal Belfast);
74 Patrick Keeling (Roganstown), Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay), Tomás Pepper (Ardee), Mark Gazi (Tralee), Ciaran Vaughan (Limerick), William Hemauer (Bluemound USA), Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), Robert Walsh (Douglas), Conor Byrne (Strabane), Morgan O’Sullivan (Ballyneety), Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle), David Lally (Blainroe), Mark Doogue (Castleknock), Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin);
75 Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint), Dylan Cairn (Royal Troo), Jack Blake (The Island), Gary Collin (Rosslare), Danny Lyne (Lahinch), Morgan Cain (Cork), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Jack Connolly (Portmarnoc), Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy), Simon Walker (Roscommon), Rory McConnell (Belvoir Pak), Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay), Cian Harkin (Letterkenny), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire);
76 David O’Malley (Black Bush), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Luke O’Neill (Connemara), Sean Deas (Douglas), Conor Clarke (Balmoral), Calum Ward (Carton House), Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park), Ciaran Murphy (Grange), Aaron Naughton (Hermitage) Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire);
77 David Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy), Paul O’Hanlon (Carton House) Darren O’Sullivan (Tralee), Dominic Dougan (Trump International), Ruairi O’Connor (Co Sligo), Evan Monaghan (Tullamore), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate), Ronan McCrory (Lurgan), James Stenson (The Island), Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush), Ian Lynch (Rosslare), Darren McCormack (Corrstown), Lewis Gowdy (Bangor), Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay);
78 Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu), Colum Kenny (Portmarnock), Jack Pierse (Portmarnock), Adam Smith (Mullingar), Conor Stapleton (Connemara), Ryan Lyons (Douglas), Dan Byrne (The Els Club Dubai), Ryan Lundh (Royal Antwerp, Belgium), Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle);
79 Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Sean Reddy (Douglas), Sean Cooper (Enniscorthy), Lorcan O’Connor (Edmondstown), Shea Dorman (Bangor), Tom Cafferky (Ballinasloe), 79 Aidan Dooley (Carton House), David Marshall (Naas), Robert Galligan (Elm Park);
80 Oscar Cuthbert (Harpenden Common, England), Jonathon Keith (Inverness, Scotland), Jason Rackard (Bunclody), Conor McGrogan (The Heritage), Sean Murphy (Grange), Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), Donnacha Cleary (Tipperary), Shane O’Neill (Malahide), Valdemar Hundeboll (Silkeborg), Robbie Hynes (Royal Dublin);
81 Jack Murphy (Douglas);
82 Sean Gallagher (Castleknock), Jack Phipps (Ardee), Alex King (Faithlegg);
83 Justin Nagy (Henderson Lake, Canada);
84 Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion), Rob Fitzpatrick (Naas), Charlie Smyth (PGA National Slieve Russell);
87 James Temple (Portmarnock);
DQ James McGeoch (The Berkshire).
