ROCKPORT – Brian Quinn of Philadelphia never met a fast green he didn’t like, and he had a lot to like Tuesday in the opening round of the 28th New England Open golf tournament at Samoset Resort Golf Club.

Quinn played the back nine in 31 to finish with a 5-under-par 65 and a one-stroke lead over Dave Gunas of Amston, Conn., and defending champion Billy Downes of Hampden, Mass.

Rich Parker of Lebanon, N.H., Dennis Rasku of Deerfield Beach, Fla., and Jim Salinetti of Lee, Mass., are tied at 67, and Mike Baker of Bradley, Tim Angis of Biddeford, Phil Smith, Ron Corcoran of Ellington Ridge Country Club in Connecticut, and Tom Gillis of Spring Valley Country Club in Massachusetts are tied for seventh at 68.

John Hickson of Old Orchard Beach, Eric Crouse of Windham, and Ron Philo Jr. of the Country Club of Vermont are tied at 69.

Nineteen players out of the 124-man field (five of whom were unable to finish because of darkness) matched par or better. The difference for Quinn was handling the greens.

“I putted pretty well,” said the 33-year-old Quinn. “The greens were real nice. The speeds were real good, and I like fast greens.”

After playing the front in even par, he started his back-nine birdie binge on No. 10 by dropping an 8-foot putt.

A 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 12th more than salvaged a hole which didn’t start well.

“I hit a poor drive in the trees, but I hit a good shot out,” he said. Quinn knocked the next one on to set up the birdie.

He made a 15-footer on the par-5 14th from just off the green for another birdie.

“I had a bad chip, but I made a nice putt,” said Quinn, who has two previous wins in Maine, the 1993 Maine Open at Riverside Municipal Golf Course in Portland and the 1996 Greater Portland Open on the same course.

Quinn continued with a 10-foot birdie putt on 15 and an 8-footer on 17.

“I play somewhat aggressively, and today it paid off,” said Quinn, who first saw the course when he played a practice round late Monday.

“I jumped out and ran around quick,” he said.

Quinn said he’s been playing solid all year, but, “it takes breaks to win.”

He knows he can’t coast in today’s second round if he wants to get his break in the chase for the $9,000 first prize in this $48,000 event.

“In this day and age, you can’t shoot low enough,” said Quinn.

Downes’ round was made when he eagled the 14th hole. He hit a 6-iron in to 3 feet and sank the putt.

“It was 196 yards down the hill,” said Downes of his second shot on the 545-yard hole. “It went right by the hole. I’ve never made a double eagle, so I kind of watched it a bit.”

Downes said it’s the kind of course a player can reel off three or four birdies in a row, but you have to be careful.

“It’s the kind of course you want to be patient on,” he said.

Baker was one of those people who was able to run off a birdie string, getting four in a row starting on 14.

“I didn’t do anything flashy,” said the low-key Baker, winner of the Rhode Island Open this year and a co-champion of the 1986 Greater Bangor Open.

What hurt him were three three-putts and a bogey on the last hole when he only had a wedge shot in.

He feels good about his chances in this 54-hole event because he’s in the same group with Downes.