Ford, Egan and and O'Rourke lead Munster Stroke Play at halfway

TJ Ford. Picture: Niall O’Shea

County Sligo’s TJ Ford shot rounds of 71 and 70 to share the 36-hole lead with Carton House’s Keith Egan and Naas’ James O’Rourke in the C2O Group Munster Stroke Play Championship at Cork Golf Club.

They lead on three-under from Co Louth’s Stuart Grehan, Mitchelstown’s Dean O’Riordan, Edmondstown’s Lorcan O’Connor and Dundak’s Eoin Murphy on three-under par.

Egan shot 67 and O’Rourke a 68 to join Ford in the lead as Grehan double bogeyed the 16th to join O’Riordan (69), O’Connor (72) and Murphy (70) in a tie for fourth on two-under.

Knock’s Ross Lattimer, Castleknock’s David Reddan, Irish Boys champion John Doyle from Fota Island and Carton House’s David Flynn were a shot further back, just two shots off the lead on one-under.

Defending champion Paul Coughlan added a 69 to his opening 76 to lurk just four shots off the lead on one-over.

In the Lytham Trophy, Matt McClean (five-over 145), Luke O’Neill (six-over), David Kitt (seven-over), Aodhagan Brady (seven-over). Caolan Rafferty (eight-over) and Thomas Abom (eight-over) made the cut at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

McClean was eight shots behind Italy’s Michele Ferrero, who led by two shots on three-under from Oliver Caton and Wales’ Matt Roberts,.