Home trio leads Irish Amateur Open as The Island shows its teeth
Joint-leader Ryan Griffin. Photo by: Fran Caffrey | Golffile
The Island proved the big winner for the second day running as winds gusting to 35 kmph left the elite field struggling in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open.
The scoring average for the morning wave for in the 80s before the southwest wind eased somewhat. But even then, not one player in the 132-man field could match par yesterday.
Overnight leader Matthew Wilson of Scotland bogeyed the 17th and double-bogeyed the 18th to card a 76 that left him tied for fourth on one-over-par with West of Ireland champion Alan Fahy (74) from Bray and The Island's Joseph Hanney (75).
They are one stroke behind a trio of leaders - Carton House's Marc Boucher, Ballybofey and Stranorlar's Ryan Griffin and Castle's Robert Moran.
Moran came from the "wrong" side of the draw, chiselling out a 74 in the worst of the wind as Griffin also shot 74 thanks to an eagle two at the 18th, where he holed a six-iron from 168 yards.
"I played lovely in the past few days, even on the wrong side of the draw," Moran said. "It's all about plotting my way around the course over the weekend. You can't chase shots around here. Hopefully, a few more putts go in tomorrow and I'll be fine."
Griffin was thrilled with his finish, adding: "I had a nasty enough three-putt on 17, so it was nice to finish the way I did. We got the raw end of the draw, but I'd have taken a 74 teeing off this morning. It's all about staying in the moment and sticking to the game plan in the next few days."
Boucher shot a best of the day 73 by following early birdies at the 10th and 12th with bogeys at the 16th, 18th and seventh.
"I made a couple of sloppy mistakes coming in, but I am happy enough," an exhausted Boucher said. "I would have taken 73 at the start of the day."
Fahy was five-over through nine holes, having started on the back nine before picking up two shots at the third and fourth.
"It was all about keeping the head down and making par," he said. "It was a grind out there. Every shot requires a lot of concentration. The wind takes it out of you."
Douglas' Jack Murphy is the leading Munster player, tied for 11th on four-over after a 75, while defending champion Peter O'Keeffe is tied 31st on eight-over after a 78 with the top 50 and ties to qualify for tomorrow's final round.
As for Hanney, the leading man from The Island, he was more than pleased with his score.
Having the support out on course today was really nice,” he said after making three birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey going out before covering the back nine in level par for a 74.
“I had a colourful front nine, but tidied it up on the back nine. It’s all about keeping in play over the weekend. You need to know this place really well, and I feel I know it like the back of my hand.
Flogas Irish Amateur Open, The Island (par 72)
After 36 holes
144 M Boucher (Carton House) 71 73, R Moran (Castle) 70 74, R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 70 74;
145 J Hanney (The Island) 71 74, A Fahy (Bray) 70 75, M Wilson (Sco) 69 76;
146 S McLoughlin (Co Sligo) 70 76;
147 H Foley (Royal Dublin) 72 75, J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 72 75, G Dunne (Co Louth) 70 77;
148 A Brady (Co Sligo) 74 74, J Murphy (Douglas) 73 75, M McClean (Malone) 73 75, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 73 75;
149 T Ford (Co Sligo) 75 74, S Keeling (Roganstown) 75 74;
150 T Lecomte (SUI) 75 75, E McCormack (Galway Bay) 73 77, W Ahlgren (Swe) 72 78, D Marshall (Naas) 72 78, J Madden (Royal Portrush) 70 80;
151 M Roberts (Wal) 77 74, C Harkin (Letterkenny) 76 75, A Brady (Aus) 76 75, C Murtagh (The Island) 75 76, A McCabe (The Links Portmarnock) 75 76, K Popert (Eng) 74 77, S McDermott (Slieve Russell) 74 77, E Murphy (Dundalk) 73 78, P Keeling (Roganstown) 72 79;
152 H Byers (Eng) 77 75, J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 75 77, L Irvine (Sco) 75 77, J Whelan (Grange) 74 78, P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 74 78, S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 73 79, D Kitt (Athenry) 72 80, L Nolan (Galway) 70 82;
153 J Cleary (Elm Park) 77 76, C Denvir (Elm Park) 76 77, C Hickey (Dooks) 76 77, D Connellan (St Anne's) 76 77, A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 76 77, G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock ) 75 78, H Gillivan (Westport) 74 79;
154 C Wilson (Sco) 77 77, R Milne (Faithlegg) 77 77, M Ford (Aus) 77 77, C O'Connor (Corrstown) 76 78, L Abom (Edmondstown) 76 78, J Fox (Portmarnock) 75 79, I Lynch (Rosslare) 74 80, D Flynn (Carton House) 73 81;
155 D O'Sullivan (Tralee) 80 75, S Carroll (Ballybunion) 77 78, G Collins (Rosslare) 76 79, C Rafferty (Dundalk) 75 80, J Stewart (Sco) 75 80;
156 J Lyons (Galway) 82 74, J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 81 75, C Gugler (SUI) 80 76, D Shiel (Powerscourt) 78 78, T Heaton (Aus) 77 79, J Foley (Elm Park) 77 79, E Sullivan (Carton House ) 76 80, A Dooley (Carton House) 75 81, L O'Connor (Edmondstown) 75 81, S O'Connell (Athenry) 71 85;
157 M Scowsill (Eng) 81 76, S Carter (Royal Dublin) 80 77, R Laird (Sco) 79 78, C Steel (Eng) 79 78, S Kenneally (Kinsale) 79 78, P Coughlan (Castleknock) 78 79, P O Dochartaigh (Gweedore) 78 79, A King (Faithlegg) 77 80, R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 76 81, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 73 84;
158 K LeBlanc (The Island) 81 77, C O'Connor (Roscommon) 80 78, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 78 80, M Shiel (Galway Bay) 78 80, A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 76 82, M Deasy (Douglas) 76 82, F Macarthur (Eng) 75 83, R McKeever (Castle) 74 84;
159 S Cooper (Enniscorthy) 79 80, S Hedger (Sco) 77 82, A Mulholland (Castlerock) 77 82, P O'Hanlon (Carton House) 76 83, L Talarczyk (Eng) 75 84;
160 L Cunningham (Galway Bay) 78 82, J Blake (The Island) 76 84;
161 O Brown (Wal) 82 79, A Challoner (Galway Bay) 80 81, R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 78 83, A Saleem (Sco) 78 83;
162 G O'Neill (Malahide) 85 77, P Buckley (Cork) 82 80, A Benson (Sco) 81 81, L Kelly (Belvoir Park) 80 82, R McNelis (Fintona) 80 82;
163 K Egan (Carton House) 84 79, Q Carew (Castleknock) 81 82, S Desmond (Monkstown) 80 83, R Kennelly (Castleknock) 79 84;
164 C Ryan (Bray) 83 81, T Plunkett (Crover House) 83 81, D O'Riordan (Fermoy) 78 86, R Muir (Sco) 77 87;
165 R Brazill (Naas) 84 81, N Hearns (Mountrath) 82 83, S Lillis (Kilrush) 81 84;
166 T Higgins (Roscommon) 84 82, J Walsh (Douglas) 83 83, S O'Connor (Castlebar) 81 85;
167 R Walsh Jr (Douglas) 86 81, J Hewitt (Tandragee) 84 83;
168 E Lisibach (Glasgow) 82 86, A Hiney (Moate) 80 88;
170 C Butler (Kinsale) 81 89, T Dowdall (Woodbrook) 78 92;
171 R O'Connor (Co Sligo) 87 84;
175 J Rowe (Belvoir Park) 79 96;
WD 159 B Ronan (Co Louth) 80 79;
WD 165 D Keating (Seapoint) 79 86;
WD 167 M Giles (Greenore) 83 84;
WD 90 R Lindsay (Sco);
RTD 80 S O Neill (Slieve Russell);
WD 77 K Murphy (Arklow);
WD 80 S Dowling (The Island);
RTD 83 S Irwin (Castleknock)
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