Amateur trio shines at Malahide; Grange face Warrenpoint for Barton Shield

Lahinch’s Aine Donegan en route to a two-under 71 in the second round of the Women’s Irish Challenge at Malahide. Picture: ForeFront Sports

Leona Maguire was six shots off the lead in the LPGA's FM Championship as the next generation of Irish women made their mark in the inaugural Women's Irish Challenge at Malahide.

As Maguire opened with a one-under 71 and Stephanie Meadow shot 75 to trail pacesetters Sei Young Kim, Allisen Corpuz and Jodi Ewart Shadoff at TPC Boston, amateur stars Emma Fleming, Roisin Scanlon and Aine Donegan joined professionals Olivia Mehaffey and Canice Screene in surviving the six-over cut in the Ladies European Tour Access Series event.

Mehaffey's three-over 76 left her joint 12th on level par heading into the final round, seven strokes behind France's Anne-Charlotte Mora.

Elm Park's Fleming shares 20th on two-over after a 72, while Scanlon made two eagle threes and a birdie in a 71 to lie 26th on three-over.

Lahinch talent Donegan (23) rallied after a 78 and also shot 71 to share 40th with rookie professional Screene on five-over.

At DP World Tour's fog-delayed Omega European Masters, Richard Mansell and Spain's Ivan Cantero carded a five-under 65 to claim the clubhouse lead at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Only eight groups completed 18 holes while two-time winner Matt Fitzpatrick, a candidate for a Ryder Cup wildcard on Monday, was fifth on three under with three to play.

At the HotelPlanner Tour's Dormy Open in Sweden, Dermot McElroy's three-under 68 left him joint 51st at Upsala Golf Club, five strokes off the lead.

Galway's Liam Nolan was a shot further back in 68th after a 69, while Jonathan Caldwell and Jack Madden were 91st after 70s.

While John Murphy retired after 11 holes, Daniel Mulligan shot 71 and Mark Power a 73 in his last start before he plays next week's Amgen Irish Open at The K Club.

The Kilkenny man will be joined in Co. Kildare by Fota Island amateur John Doyle (18), who has received a Golf Ireland invitation after a stellar season.

At the First Stage of the DP World Tour Qualifying School at The Players Club in Bristol, Hugh Foley shot a level par 70 to go into the final round tied for seventh on two-over.

The top 17 and ties progress to October’s second stage.

Doyle won the Flogas Irish Boys' and Munster Men's Amateur Open titles, finished runner-up in the St Andrews Links Trophy and the English Boys Amateur for the Carris Trophy and secured an international call-up as well as appearances for GB&I in the Jacques Léglise Trophy.

He has also been picked to represent Europe in next month's Junior Ryder Cup in New York.

Meanwhile, Grange will take on favourites Warrenpoint in their quest for the club's first AIG Barton Shield triumph at Douglas today.

Jonathan O'Driscoll and Dylan Harbourne beat Sean Enright and Justin Kehoe 2-up, and Jake Whelan and Ciaran Murphy edged out Jordan Boles and Ciaran Vaughan 1-up in their semi-final win over Limerick.

Warrenpoint's Stephen Coulter and Vincy Toner lost 6 up to Co Louth's Evan Farrell and Harley Phipps in the other semi, but the experienced international Colm Campbell teamed up with Rian Carvill to defeat Gerard Dunne and Daniel O'Brien 9-up and give the seven-time champions a shot at another green pennant.

In the AIG Women's Senior Foursomes, Elm Park beat Tralee 2.5-0.5 and will face Royal Tara, 2-1 winners over Royal County Down Ladies, in today's final.