Lyons and Flynn set the pace at Irish Mid-Amateur

Joe Lyons (Galway) Picture Golffile | Thos Caffrey

Galway’s Joe Lyons and Tramore’s Paul Flynn hold a one-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round of the Irish Mid-Amateur Open at Thurles.

Former Waterford hurling hero Flynn made five birdies in a three-under-par 69 in the morning before consolidating his position with two birdies and two bogeys in a second-round 72.

He is joined on three-under by Lyons who posted six birdies in a two-under 70 before adding five birdies in a one-under 71 in round two.

Four players are just a shot off the pace — Carton House’s Paul O’Hanlon, Portmarnock’s Geoff Lenehan, Malahide’s Gavin O’Connor and Castletroy’s Andrew McCormack, who eagled the par-5 eighth twice in rounds of 73 and 69.

Two-time champion Gary O’Flaherty is lurking just three shots back in a four-way tie for seventh place at even par.

The cut to the top-33 and ties fell at seven-over par with Lee Valley’s Ian Bohane, Rosslare’s Mark Mullen and St. Anne’s Senan Kavanagh making the grade right on the number.

Bohane and Mullen will get Sunday’s final round underway at 8.10 am. The final group gets underway at 9.55 am.

Irish Mid Amateur Open, Thurles GC (Par 72)

Detailed scores

141 Joe Lyons (Galway) 70 71, Paul Flynn (Tramore) 69 72; 

142 Andrew McCormack (Castletroy) 73 69, Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) 70 72, Paul O’Hanlon (Carton House) 70 72, Gavin O’Connor (Malahide) 69 73; 

144 Pat Murray (Clontarf) 75 69, Darren O’Sullivan (Tralee) 74 70, Adrian Hiney (Moate) 72 72, Gary O’Flaherty (Cork) 71 73; 

145 Ruairi Kennelly (Castleknock) 76 69, Mark Shanahan (West Waterford) 74 71, Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin) 73 72; 

146 Quentin Carew (Edenderry) 71 75, Paraic Connolly (The Links Portmarnock) 71 75; 

147 David Coughlan (Castleknock) 78 69, Rory Leonard (Banbridge) 75 72, Jason Law (East Cork) 73 74, 

148 Conor Jameson (Wicklow) 75 73, Richard McCrudden (Royal Portrush) 73 75, Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell) 72 76; 

149 Anton O’Callaghan (Tralee) 78 71, Mark O’Rourke (Royal Tara) 76 73, Justin Kehoe (Limerick) 74 75, Kieran McCarthy (Kinsale) 73 76, Niall Carroll (Athlone) 73 76, Thomas O’Connor (Athlone) 72 77; 

150 Lar Ryan (Rathdowney) 77 73, Andrew Morris (Royal Portrush) 77 73, Olan Barrett (Fermoy) 74 76, Eoin Marsden (Tullamore) 74 76, Desmond Morgan (Carton House) 74 76; 

151 Senan Kavanagh (St. Anne's) 77 74, Mark Mullen (Rosslare) 77 74, Ian Bohane (Lee Valley) 73 78

Missed Cut

152 David Joyce (Powerscourt) 74 78, Conor McGrogan (The Heritage) 74 78, Graham Nugent (Kilkenny) 80 73; 

153 Gavin Smyth (Clonmel) 76 77, Gary Cullen (The Links Portmarnock) 76 77, Darren O’Donoghue (Bandon) 75 78, Jonathan Kelly (Athy) 78 76; 

154 Tony O’Leary (Rosslare) 78 76, Eoin O’Carroll (St. Anne's) 77 77, Dave Kinneen (Galway Bay) 76 78, Matthew McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 76 78, Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay) 80 75; 

155 David Ronayne (Thurles) 78 77, Rob Fitzpatrick (Naas) 76 79, Niall Bermingham (Howth) 75 80, Cormac Ryan (Killeen Castle) 75 80, Peter Kirby (Dun Laoghaire) 76 80; 

156 Ronan O’Reilly (Cregmore Park) 77 80; 

157 Lee McMillan (Elmgreen) 76 81, Christopher O’Connor (Corrstown) 75 82, Emmet O’Neill (Co. Meath) 80 78; 

158 Thomas Byrne (Newbridge) 77 81, James Murray (Lee Valley) 77 81, Philip Spratt (West Waterford) 77 81, Ian Lynch (Rosslare) 74 84; 

NR Jamie Kiely (Castleknock) 75 75; 

Rtd Stephen Loftus (Lahinch) 77; 

DQ Michael Green (Greenore) 81; 

Rtd James McLaughlin (Portumna), David Connellan (St. Anne's), Paul Cutler (Royal Portrush).