Casey, McBride, McGeady and McElroy lead race for Irish Open spots

The Island’s Paul McBride

Brian Casey and Paul McBride fired six-under 66s and Michael McGeady and Dermot McElroy a brace of 68s to lead the race for four spots in next week’s $7 million Dubai Duty Free Irish Open after the weather-delayed first round of the 36-hole DDF Irish Open Qualifier at Moyvalley.

Thunderstorms delayed the start by more than three hours, forcing a spate of withdrawals, but scoring was hot when the action finally got underway and when the first round was eventually completed, Casey, McBride and McGeady were in position to book their tickets to Co Clare.

No fewer than 28 players broke par, including five-time European Tour player Michael Hoey, who is still in with a chance of making his 16th Irish Open appearance at Lahinch after jetting in from Valderrama for the qualifier.

With just four Irish Open places on offer, a playoff will be used to break any ties at the Co Kildare resort.

While Balbriggan’s Robbie Cannon was forced to withdraw as the delay would have left him in danger of missing Laois’ All Ireland Football Championship Qualifier win over Offaly in Portlaoise — he is their Strength and Conditioning coach — in Portlaoise, Naas’ Robert Brazill is lurking just one shot outside the qualifying places after a 69 with Castle’s Robert Moran tied 13th after a 70,.

Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell (71) and Killiney’s Eoin Leonard (72) are also very much in the race with Malone’s Matt McClean with more work to do after a 73.

Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Qualifier, Moyvalley Hotel & Golf Resort (Par 72)

Second Round tee-times # indicates tee

10:00 #1 Andrew Peoples, Roy O'Neill, Andrew Gorman

10:00 #10 Richard Bridges, Harry Coyne, Conor Gorevan

10:10 #1 Padraig McGrath, Mark Higgins, Raymond Ryan

10:10 #10 Peter Jones, Mark Burke, Sean O'Donoghue

10:20 #1 Cormac Power, Philip Duff, William Noble

10:20 #10 Brendan Walton, Gregory Leech, Mark Sutton

10:30 #1 Patrick Devine, Gerry Burke, Michael O'Shea

10:30 #10 Shane Irwin, Ronan Collins, Colin Clancy

10:40 #1 Craig Melvin, Gerard Hall, Colin O'Gorman

10:40 #10 Damien Scott, Gary McGrane, Karl Goodwin

10:50 #1 Robert Giles, Andy Hogan, Andrew Owens

10:50 #10 Philip McLaughlin, Shaun Devenney, Keith McDermott

11:00 #1 Glen Robinson, Brian Carroll, Seamus Duffy

11:00 #10 Martin Ward, Jamie Dreelan, Diarmaid Fraser

11:10 #1 Alec Myles, Mark Whelan, Brian Jnr McCormack

11:10 #10 Peter O'Hagan, Matthew Looby, Cormac Flannery

11:20 #1 Enda McLoughlin, Brian Cosgrove, Stuart Bleakley

11:20 #10 Ronan Higgins, Bradley Cohen

11:30 #1 Gary Madden, Jimmy Bolger, Liam Whelan

14:00 #1 Leslie Walker, Eric Byrne, Niall Kearney

14:00 #10 Mark Staunton, Richard Kilpatrick, Richard O'Donovan

14:10 #1 Adam Dunmore, Stuart Grehan, Michael Hoey

14:10 #10 Brian Doheny, Conor Coyne, Stephen McCarthy

14:20 #1 Brian McElhinney, Jack McDonnell (a), Stephen Barry

14:20 #10 Colm Moriarty, Nicholas Grant, Tim Rice

14:30 #1 David Higgins, Niall McGlynn, Joe Dillon

14:30 #10 James Quinlivan, Rory McNamara, Eoin Leonard (a)

14:40 #1 Mark O'Mahony, Jonathon Caldwell, John Ross Galbraith

14:40 #10 Daniel Sugrue, Jonathan Yates, James Walsh

14:50 #1 Simon Thornton, Robert Moran (a), Conor O'Rourke

14:50 #10 Matthew McClean (a), Liam Murray, Keith Shannon

15:00 #1 Eamonn Brady, Jack Howard, Neil O'Briain

15:00 #10 Jerry Scullion, Shane Franklin, Brendan McCarroll

15:10 #1 David Ryan, Steven Quinlan, Shane Jenkinson

15:10 #10 Michael Alexander, Damian Mooney, Eddie Tracey

15:20 #1 Dermot McElroy, Robert Brazill (a), David Carey

15:20 #10 Thomas Gracey, David Barry, Cian McNamara

15:30 #1 Paul McBride, Michael McGeady, Brian Casey»

15:30 #10 Alan Dunbar, Mark O'Sullivan, Brian Kerley

After 18 holes

Detailed scores

66 Brian Casey (Headfort), Paul McBride (The Island)

68 Michael McGeady (Evolve Golf Coaching), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)

69 David Carey, Robert Brazill (a) (Naas). Shane Jenkinson (St Margaret's G&CC), David Ryan (Cahir Park), Steven Quinlan (SQ Golf) , Eamonn Brady Clontarf), Jack Howard (Fota Island), Neil O’Briain (Old Conna)

70 Conor O’Rourke (Naas), Robert Moran (a) (Castle), Simon Thornton (Tulfarris Golf Resort), John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead), Mark O’Mahony (Titleist National Fitting Centre), Jonathon Caldwell (Clandeboye)

71 Joe Dillon (Headfort), David Higgins (Waterville Golf Links), Niall McGlynn (GUI National Academy), Stephen Barry (Royal Tara), Brian McElhinney (Evolve Golf Coaching), Jack McDonnell (a) (Forrest Little, Stuart Grehan (Tullamore), Adam Dunmore )(Bundoran), Michael Hoey (Galgorm Castle), Eric Byrne (St Anne’s)

72 Leslie Walker (Dundalk), Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin), Mark Staunton (Mark Staunton Golf), Richard O’Donovan (Dun Laoghaire), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge), Brian Doheny (Callan), Stephen McCarthy (Black Bush), Conor Coyne (Lisheen Springs), Nicholas Grant (Knock), Colm Moriarty (Glasson Hotel), Tim Rice (Limerick), Eoin Leonard (a) (Killiney), James Quinlivan (Mullingar)

73 Rory McNamara (La Cala Resort), James Walsh (Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort), Daniel Sugrue (Dooks), Jonathan Yates (Naas), Liam Murray (Mar Menor Golf & The LM Club), Matthew McClean (a) (Malone), Keith Shannon (Cloverhill)

74 Jerry Scullion (J Scullion Golf), Brendan McCarroll (West Cliffs Golf Links), Shane Franklin (Cregmore Park), Eddie Tracey (Ballina), Michael Alexander (Holywood), Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf), Thomas Gracey (Edenmore Golf & CC)

75 Cian McNamara (Monkstown), David Barry (Douglas), Mark O’Sullivan (Piltown Driving Range), Alan Dunbar (Elm Park), Brian Kerley (Ardee), Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny), Gary Madden (Glenlo Abbey), Liam Whelan (Craddockstown), Brian Cosgrove (Newlands), Enda McLoughlin (P2 Putter Grips), Stuart Bleakley (Blackwood Golf Centre), Alec Myles (Bray), Brian Jnr McCormack (Royal Dublin)

76 Mark Whelan (Castlewarden Golf & CC), Glen Robinson (Craddockstown), Brian Carroll (Ashbourne), Seamus Duffy (Seamus Duffy Golf Academy), Robert Giles (Greenore), Andy Hogan (Edmondstown), Andrew Owens (Ballyclare), Craig Melvin (Corrstown), Gerard Hall (Edenderry Golf Academy), Colin O’Gorman (Cahir Park), Patrick Devine (Sutton), Gerry Burke (Royal Curragh),

77 Michael O’Shea (Rathsallagh), William Noble (County Cavan), Cormac Power (McGuirks Golf), Philip Duff (Headfort), Raymond Ryan (Thurles), Padraig McGrath (P & M Golf Superstore Ltd), Mark Higgins (Limerick), Andrew Gorman (Killeen Castle), Andrew Peoples (NZ)

78 Roy O’Neill (Galway), Conor Gorevan (Portmarnock), Richard Bridges (Castle), Harry Coyne (Carton House), Peter Jones (Coollattin), Mark Burke (Concra Wood),

79 Sean O’Donoghue (Kilkenny), Gregory Leech (Unatt.) , Brendan Walton (Roganstown Golf & CC), Mark Sutton (Synergy Golf), Colin Clancy (Castle), Shane Irwin (Monkstown), Ronan Collins (Fota Island),

80 Karl Goodwin (Beaverstown), Damien Scott (Farnham Estate)

81 Gary McGrane (St Anne’s), Shaun Devenney (Roe Park Hotel & Golf Resort), Philip McLaughlin (Unatt), Keith McDermott (Hermitage), Diarmaid Fraser (Unatt.)

82 Martin Ward (Ennis), Jamie Dreelan (Rosslare), Cormac Flannery (Unatt.), Peter O’Hagan (Luttrellstown Castle)

83 Matthew Looby (Greystones)

84 Ronan Higgins (Balbriggan)

87 Bradley Cohen (Wexford)

WD Cormac Hennessy (Rathfarnham), Ted Higgins (www.tedhiggins.com), Brendan McGovern (Headfort), Peter Morgan (Elm Park), Donal Murphy (Grange Castle), Bernard Quigley (Tullamore), Richard Weldon (Black Bush), Paul O’Connor (Island), Robbie Cannon (a) (Balbriggan)

RTD Michael McDermott (Grange), Ciaran Carroll (Ashbourne), Seamus Clinton (Gormastown Driving Range), Graham Byrne (Palmerstown House Estate), Sergio Coyle (Waterford Castle), Daniel O’Connor (Athlone), Donal Gleeson (Old Conna), Shane Livesey (Douglas), John Dignam (Slade Valley), Ciaran Molloy (Ardee), Michael Mulryan (Cregboy Golf Academy).