Hot finish gives John Brady two-shot lead in Irish Boys
Rosslare's John Brady during last year's Irish Boys at Castle. Picture by Pat Cashman

Rosslare's John Brady during last year's Irish Boys at Castle. Picture by Pat Cashman

Rosslare's John Brady finished eagle-par-birdie to take a two-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship.

Brady carded a three-under par 69 in round two at Castletroy and leads on seven under par with first-round leader and defending champion, Mark Power from Kilkenny, second on five-under after a 72.

The title holder was two over par with seven to play when he followed two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine with a double bogey at the par-three 11th. But he immediately bounced back with birdies at the 12th and 13th before parring his way home.

Brady began the day one behind Power but erased the deficit with a brilliant finish – picking up three shots in his last three holes. An eagle at 16 moved Brady in front and he birdied the last to cement his position at the top.

England's Danny Daniels produced a finish to match Brady's with birdies at the 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th giving him a joint best of the day 68 and solo third on four-under.

Elm Park's Charlie Denvir also shot 68, carding five birdies and just one bogey to move up 26 places to solo sixth on one-under 143.

Following Thursday’s third round, the top 50 and ties (152 at halfway) will progress to the final day.

Irish Amateur Boys Open, Castletroy GC (Par 72)

Detailed scores

137 J Brady (Rosslare) 68 69

139 M Power (Kilkenny) 67 72

140 D Daniels (England) 72 68

141 J Cope (England) 71 70, A Marshall (Lisburn) 70 71

143 C Denvir (Elm Park) 75 68

144 C Larcelet (France) 74 70, J Hanney (The Island) 73 71, A Boland (Mallow) 71 73

145 J Hearn (Tramore) 74 71, R Le Bot (France) 69 76

146 L Schiergen (Germany) 74 72, B Rossiter Gargan (Rosslare) 73 73, A Edwards-Hill (England) 70 76, K Van der Weele (Netherlands) 70 76

147 S Carroll (Castle Dargan) 78 69, D Gurr (England) 75 72, N Hearns (Mountrath) 75 72, R Williams (England) 74 73, J Mackin (Dundalk) 74 73, R Kelly (Tuam) 74 73

148 O Maguire (Slieve Russell) 74 74, A Hill (Athenry) 73 75

149 A Laussot (France) 77 72, A Telli (Turkey) 76 73, J Hrinda (Slovakia) 74 75, L O'Neill (Connemara) 74 75

150 A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 79 71, E Murphy (Dundalk) 77 73, Z Glynn (Bray) 77 73, J Tuohy (Galway Bay) 75 75, R Moran (Castle) 75 75, J Rooney (Co. Armagh) 75 75, J Keane (Lahinch) 75 75, S Doyle (The Island) 74 76, M Marin (France) 73 77, R Black (Hilton Templepatrick) 73 77, D Cunningham (Tandragee) 71 79, P Cunnane (Malone) 71 79

151 T Westenberger (Germany) 79 72, T Smyth (Castle) 78 73, C Glennon (Glasson) 78 73, J Temple (Portmarnock) 77 74, J Black (Hilton Templepatrick) 76 75, L Power (Galway) 73 78, R Fitzgerald (Limerick) 73 78, M Hanley (Limerick) 73 78

152 S Laverty (Dundalk) 81 71, B Haq (England) 79 73, K Robinson (Castlewarden) 79 73, J Madden (Royal Portrush) 79 73, A Lennie (Clandeboye) 77 75, K McGinley (Sunningdale) 76 76, R Latimer (Knock) 76 76, D Lynch (Clonmel) 75 77, C Dawson (Tramore) 75 77, C Raymond (Newlands) 74 78

153 R Rikardsson (Iceland) 82 71, L Nolan (Galway) 79 74, C Byrne (Strabane) 77 76, D Steinarsson (Iceland) 76 77, A Hickey (Ballyhaunis) 76 77, B McGuinness (Claremorris) 75 78

154 E Sullivan (Carton House) 80 74, E Walsh (Mallow) 80 74, R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 79 75, N Grant (The Island) 79 75, B Howlin (The Heritage) 78 76, J Shellard (Lisburn) 78 76, N Saldarov (England) 77 77, J Doherty (Carton House) 76 78

155 O Telli (Turkey) 80 75, S Miller (Clandeboye) 80 75, J Rowe (Tandragee) 80 75, I Turner (England) 77 78

156 J Brown (The Heath) 83 73, D Kitt (Athenry) 82 74, H Riboud (France) 81 75, D Raher (Dungarvan) 80 76, J McCabe (Roganstown) 79 77, J Small (Elm Park) 77 79, D Graham (Woodenbridge) 77 79, D Keating (Seapoint) 76 80, D Kelly (Cill Dara) 75 81, S Jones (Belvoir Park) 74 82

157 D Li (Germany) 82 75, R Duggan (Kilkenny) 81 76, R Eccles (Carton House) 81 76, C Ffrench (Carton House) 79 78, R Cowhey (Elm Park) 78 79, H Gillivan (Westport) 78 79, O O'Driscoll (Golf Clementader) 77 80, J Hyland (Omagh) 77 80

158 S O'Brien (Nenagh) 82 76, M Kennedy (The Royal Dublin) 82 76, L Merrigan (Bray) 80 78, S Leonard (Mitchelstown) 78 80

159 I Halpin (Cahir Park) 81 78, S Galvin (Fota Island) 80 79, J Heatherington (Glasson) 76 83

160 J Pontes (Portugal) 85 75, T Plunkett (Crover House) 84 76, D Rochford (Bray) 84 76, E Telli (Turkey) 83 77, B Phipps (Ardee) 80 80, D O'Connel (Kanturk) 79 81, C McGuinness (Claremorris) 77 83

161 D Twomey (Elm Park) 88 73, J Robinson (Lisburn) 87 74, W Eardley (England) 86 75, C Roe (Powerscourt) 84 77, R Thompson (Greenacres) 83 78, J Everard (Kilkenny) 82 79, J Connolly (Elm Park) 82 79, J Hogan (Castletroy) 81 80, R Milne (Faithlegg) 81 80, P Callaghan (Castle Dargan) 80 81, C Murtagh (Balcarrick) 79 82

162 R Hynes (Oughterard) 84 78, D Boden (Belvoir Park) 83 79, E McGrath (Athlone) 83 79, D Leufer (Athenry) 82 80, S Fitzgerald (Tullamore) 82 80, R Galligan (Elm Park) 82 80, P Bird (Co. Sligo) 80 82, J Egan (Muskerry) 78 84

163 B Hynes (Greystones) 84 79, P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 84 79, A Mulhall (Waterford Castle) 83 80, L O'Sullivan (The Heritage) 82 81, K Tanpolat (Turkey) 79 84

164 S Murphy (Portumna) 86 78, S Downes (The Royal Dublin) 83 81, C McDonald (Lurgan) 80 84

165 A Doherty (Carton House) 85 80, J Logue (Hilton Templepatrick) 80 85

167 S Kearney (Esker Hills) 80 87

168 C Meade (East Clare) 86 82, B Peden (Grange Castle) 86 82

169 C Dunn (Foyle) 88 81

170 K Patton (Lisburn) 86 84

171 S Kestell (Woodbrook) 81 90

NR D Kelleher (Blarney)

RTD S Dowling (The Island)