Former British amateur champion Brian McElhinney was among 12 players to come through the first of the Open Championship regional qualifying events at Royal Dublin today.

Rain and strong winds meant not a single player broke the par of 72 — and five failed to break 90.

McElhinney, winner of the Amateur title at Royal Birkdale two years ago and now a professional, had a five-over-par 77 to finish joint seventh of the 12 who progressed to the 36-hole final qualifying in Scotland next Monday and Tuesday.

Winner with a one-over 73 was Dundalk's Leslie Walker, one ahead of Justin Kehoe, from Birr, and Alan Murray, of Greystones.