Murphy and Foley best at Lytham; Walsh leads Munster qualifiers

Hugh Foley shot 68 in round two

Douglas’ Jack Murphy and Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley were the leading Irish players to qualify for the final 36 holes in the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham.

Murphy followed his opening 68 with a 73 to share fourth place on one-over-par, leaving him three strokes behind American Frank Kennedy and Spain’s Luis Masveu.

Kennedy and Masveu shot 68s to lead by one stroke from Welshman James Ashfield, who shot a beet of the week 66.

Foley moved up to tied sixth on two-over after a 68 with Naas Robert Brazill (71) and Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill (75) a shot further back in tied 11th.

Brandon St John and Robert Moran (+4), David Kitt and Matthew McClean (+5) were the other Irish players to make the cut.

Scores

Walsh leads qualifiers in Munster Men’s Amateur at Cork

Douglas’s James Walsh shot rounds of 67 and 69 to lead the 16 qualifiers for the matchplay stages of the Munster Men’s Amateur Open at Cork.

He finished three shots ahead of Co Louth’s Evan Farrell and Enniscrone’s David Shiel with Cork’s Brian Kelleher and Ian O’Rourke the next best on three-under.

Scores

The cut for the top 16 fell at level par with Grange’s Jake Whelan, the title holder, carding a 69 to make it on the mark and set up a tough last 16 clash with Kelleher.