Kitt and Dunne one clear at Baltray
Athenry’s David Kitt overcame demanding conditions to draw level at the top with Co Louth’s Gerard Dunne heading into the final two rounds of the Pharmaher Healthcare-sponsored East of Ireland Championship at Baltray.
After Friday’s birdie blitz, when 32 players broke par, just seven shot in the red in strong easterly winds on day two and nobody broke 70.
Kitt was among the few to break par in both rounds as he followed a 68 with a one-under-par 71 to share the lead on five-under with Dunne, who followed a 64 with a 75.
“It was playing a lot harder than yesterday, and the wind was up, so I’m happy,” said Kitt.
“I knew I was hitting it well, so no matter where you are playing or what the conditions, if you’re hitting fairways and greens, you’re going to be there or thereabouts, so I just tried to keep that going and did that for the most part today.”
Dunne was happy to be tied for the lead after a tough day on the links.
“Completely different today,” he said. “Couldn’t have had two more different experiences probably in two days.
“We got the good side of the draw yesterday, perfect conditions, and I managed to knock in a few putts and get around in 64, which was great.
“It takes a little bit of pressure off when you get days like that. When the weather is poor, you just have to hang in a little bit.”
Following a strong showing at the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship, just up the road at Seapoint Golf Club, Dunne hopes to maintain that form at his home course but knows composure will also be key come Sunday afternoon.
“These championships are very long, and you can’t get too excited no matter what score you shoot in the opening round,” said Dunne.
“It’s just about going again, getting ready for the battle tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”
The leading duo will be joined by David Reddan in tomorrow’s final grouping.
The Castleknock golfer sits just one shot off the lead on four-under after carding rounds of 68 and 72.
A big crowd is expected on Sunday as Louth boasts five other players within touching distance of the lead.
Local members Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan are just two shots back on three under.
Defending champion Caolan Rafferty Eoin Murphy of Dundalk and Seapoint's Dylan Keating are a further shot adrift on two under.
Pictured above: Gerard Dunne (Co Louth) and David Kitt (Athenry) INPHO | Tom Maher & Laszlo Geczo.
East of Ireland Amateur Open, County Louth (Par 72)
After 36 holes
139 David Kitt (Athenry) 68 71, Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) 64 75;
140 David Reddan (Castleknock) 68 72
141 Stuart Grehan (Co. Louth) 71 70, Gavin Tiernan (Co. Louth) 70 71, David Howard (Fota island) 69 72;
142 Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 72 70, Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) 71 71, Mikkel Bergum Johansen (Drøbak GK) 70 72, Dylan Keating (Seapoint) 69 73;
144 Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye) 73 71, Jordan Boles (Limerick) 73 71, Jamie Butler (Naas) 71 73, John William Burke (Ballyhaunis) 68 76;
145 Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) 72 73, Barry Howlin (The Heritage) 71 74, Oscar Bach (Oslo) 71 74, Fionn Dobbin (Malone) 71 74, Adam Buchanan (Royal Portrush) 70 75, John Doyle (Fota Island) 66 79;
146 Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint) 74 72, Simon Walker (Roscommon) 73 73, Adam Fahey (Portmarnock) 71 75, Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle) 71 75;
147 Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt) 75 72, Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) 74 73, David Foy (Laytown & Bettystown) 73 74, Joseph Stevenson (Portadown) 73 74, Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 72 75, Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy) 71 76, James Fox (Portmarnock) 71 76, Gary Collins (Rosslare) 70 77, Seán McLoughlin (Co. Sligo) 70 77;
148 David Lally (Blainroe) 76 72, Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) 74 74, Darren McCormack (Corrstown) 74 74, Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden) 71 77, Matthew Giles (Greenore) 71 77, Shane McDermott (PGA National Slieve Russell) 71 77, Colin Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) 70 78;
149 Aodhagan Brady (Co. Sligo) 76 73, Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 75 74, Jake Whelan (Grange) 75 74, Sean Reddy (Douglas) 74 75, Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy) 74 75, Ben Cahill (Dundalk) 74 75, Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) 73 76, Eoin O’Carroll (St Anne's) 73 76, Ciaran Murphy (Grange) 73 76, Conor Clarke (Balmoral) 72 77, Tomás Pepper (Ardee) 71 78, Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) 71 78, Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay) 70 79, Keith Egan (Carton House) 70 79.
Missed cut
150 Ryan Murray (Balmoral) 76 74, Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock) 74 76, Jack McDonnell (The Royal Dublin) 73 77, Steven Gormley (Blainroe) 73 77, Conor Hickey (Dooks) 73 77, Greg O’Mahony (Fota Island) 72 78, Gavin O’Neill (Malahide) 72 78, Ciaran Gregan (Forrest Little) 69 81;
151 James Walsh (Douglas) 79 72, Morgan Cain (Fota island) 76 75, Adam Smith (Mullingar) 76 75, Valdemar Hundeboll (Silkeborg) 76 75, Marcus Goosen (Sunnfjord GC, Norway) 75 76, Mark Gazi (Tralee) 75 76;
152 David Shiel (Enniscrone) 77 75, Cathal Penney (Athenry) 77 75, Mathias Aase (Sola Golfklubb) 76 76, Conor McCarthy (Headfort) 74 78, Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone) 74 78, Ross Latimer (Knock) 73 79, Leon Sebastian Hauger (Oslo GK) 67 85;
153 Andrew Gavin (Black Bush) 76 77, Danny Lyne (Lahinch) 75 78, Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan) 75 78, Brian Lane (Muskerry) 74 79, Benjamin Doggett (Co. Louth) 73 80, Daniel O'Brien (Co. Louth) 72 81;
154 Robert Galligan (Elm Park) 79 75, John Moran (Portmarnock) 77 77, Robert Walsh (Douglas) 77 77, Niall Hearns (Mountrath) 76 78, Quentin Carew (Castleknock) 76 78, Ben Hanratty (Donabate) 75 79, Ian Lynch (Rosslare) 74 80, Ben Phipps (Taylormade) 74 80;
155 Theodor M Bjørge (Aalesund Golf) 81 74, Jack McKenna (Co. Louth) 75 80, Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 74 81, Matthew Grehan (Tullamore) 72 83;
156 Simon Ward (Belvoir Park) 78 78, Ruairi O'Connor (Co. Sligo) 77 79, Lucas Lyons (Limerick) 77 79, Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay) 75 81, Lewis Gowdy (Bangor) 74 82, Mark Cadden (Roganstown) 74 82, Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush) 74 82, Frederik Richardson (Byneset GK) 74 82, Cornelius Farhang (Oslo) 71 85;
157 Paul O’Hanlon (Carton House) 81 76, Cian Dullaghan (Greenore) 80 77, Gareth Bohill (Co. Louth) 78 79, Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) 77 80, Adam McCormick (Scrabo) 76 81;
158 Luke Mitchell (Portmarnock) 79 79, Mark Shanahan (Rosslare) 78 80, Jamie Kelly (Ardee) 78 80, Daniel Werner Nilsson (Oslo) 78 80, Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay) 77 81, Jack Phipps (Ardee) 74 84;
159 Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint) 79 80, Daniel McKenna (Co. Louth) 77 82, Fridtjof Farhang (Oslo) 76 83;
160 Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar/Royal Dublin) 84 76, Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay) 80 80;
161 Allan Hill (Roscommon) 81 80, Liam Hutchinson (The Royal Dublin) 80 81, Brian Doran (Millicent) 79 82, Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown) 79 82;
162 Jamie Larkin (Palmerstown House Estate) 75 87, Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate) 74 88;
163 David O'Malley (Black Bush) 81 82, Tóla Gormley (Austin) 80 83;
164 Aaron Foley (Edmondstown) 81 83;
165 Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin) 86 79, Ian O’Connell (Castleknock) 78 87;
168 Neil Patterson (Baltinglass) 80 88;
WD Karl Bornemann (Douglas) WD
NR Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) NR