Dylan Keating chasing first Close-North double since Darren Clarke in 1990
Dylan Keating pictured at the first round of the Pierse Motors South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch Golf Club. Picture: Niall O'Shea
North of Ireland champion Dylan Keating opened with a six-under par 66 to lead the AIG Irish Men’s Close at Portumna.
The Seapoint golfer, who is bidding to become only the second player since Darren Clarke in 1990 to do the North-Close double, leads by two strokes from Edmondstown’s Liam Abom, Dooks’ Conor Hickey and Carton House’s Jordan Boles.
Clarke holed a monster putt at the last to beat Grange’s Paul McGinley by one hole in the North of Ireland final at Royal Portrush that year before going on to beat Stackstown’s Pádraig Harrington 3&2 in the Irish Close final at Baltray.
Fota Island’s David Howard and Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins — two players who were closely watched by Walker Cup captain Dean Robertson in the South of Ireland at Lahinch — were three shots off the lead after 69s, tied for fifth with Greystones’ recently-crowned Mullingar Scratch Cup winner, Dylan Holmes.
AIG Irish Men's Amateur Close Championship, Portumna GC (Par 72)
66 Dylan Keating (Seapoint);
68 Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Conor Hickey (Dooks), Jordan Boles (Carton House);
69 Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), David Howard (Fota Island), Dylan Holmes (Greystones);
70 Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park), James O’Rourke (Naas), Conor McCarthy (Headfort), Darragh Flynn (Carton House);
71 Keith Egan (Carton House), Charlie Mooney (Ballinasloe), Mark Gazi (Tralee), Aaron Kearney (Roepark), Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood), David Shiel (Enniscrone), Jamal Sabir (Moate);
72 Tom Glennon (Kilkenny), Brendan Mulgrew (Galgorm Castle), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock), Morgan Cain (Fota), Aaron Ryan (Thurles), William Walshe (Delgany), Evan Farrell (Co. Louth), Jonathan Yates (Kilkenny), Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), David Kitt (Athenry), Tadhg Murphy (Millicent), James Fox (Portmarnock);
73 Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay), Matthew Hanlon (Carton House), Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore), Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House), Cian O’Connor (Roscommon), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock), Matthew Grehan (Tullamore), Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay), Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint), Niall Fitzgerald (Shannon), Barry McMenamin (Ballybofey and Stranorlar), Gavin Duffy (Edenderry);
74 Ross Latimer (Clandeboye), Barry Howlin (The Heritage), Quentin Carew (The Heritage), Ryan Lyons (Blarney), Conor Stapleton (Westport), Conor Murtagh (The Island), Ross Healion (Newforest), Conor Clarke (Balmoral), Darren McCormack (Corrstown), William O’Riordan (Greystones), Jason Rackard (Bunclody), Morgan O’Sullivan (Ballyneety), Samuel Gammell (Naas), Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo), Adam Challoner (Galway Bay), Ciarán Johnston (Concra Wood), Evan Shipp (Headfort), Ben Cahill (Dundalk), Cillian Murray (Stackstown), Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay);
75 Steven Gilmore (Cregmore Park), Cian Harkin (The Island), Jake Foley (Elm Park), Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet), Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), David Lally (Blainroe), Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay), Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin), Fergal Coyle (Athenry), James Park (County Sligo), Jonathan Quinn (The Island), Fionn McCormick (Moyola Park);
76 Joe O'Neill (Berehaven), David Reddan (Castleknock), Mark Cadden (Roganstown), Patrick Tuffy (Strandhill), Conor Crudden (Newbridge), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate), Odhran Macshane (Dundalk), Odhrán McBride (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), Rafael Poli (Holywood), Evan Hogg (Belvoir Park);
77 Nigel Colfer (Al Zorah), Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Alex Kerins (Carton House), Neil Patterson (Baltinglass), Dave Lowry (Corrstown), Eoin Magill (East Clare), Keith Walsh (Kinsale), Daniel Keogh (Powerscourt), David Cunningham (Galway), Evan Monaghan (Tullamore);
78 Jamie Butler (Naas), Brendan Farrell (Standard Club, Georgia USA), Dylan Beirne (Carrick on Shannon), Harley Phipps (Co. Louth), Jonathan Hayden (Royal Dublin), James Mitten (Castleknock), Scott O'Brien (Nenagh), Ben O'Mahony (Stackstown), Mark Greenwood (Carton House), Oisin Reilly (Straffen), Ruairi O'Connor (Co. Sligo), Sean Murphy (Grange), Darragh Grehan (Carton House);
79 Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), Jack McIlhatton (Massereene), Shane McGlynn (Portmarnock), Valter Andersson (Woodbrook), Niall Conneely (Ballinasloe);
80 Dylan Harbourne (Grange), Adrian Lynch (Bray), Dylan Smyth (Galway Bay), Ryan Corrigan (Westport), Neil Conway (Cill Dara), Mikey Duignan (The Royal Dublin), Eoin O'Carroll (St. Annes);
81 Sam Kelly (The Island), Jamie Larkin (Naas), Sean Duffy (Royal Tara);
82 Christopher Caulfield (Carton House), Evan Maher (Mountrath), Donnacha Halpin (Shannon);
83 David O'Malley (Black Bush);
84 Luke Woods (Banbridge);
85 James Fenlon (Bunclody), Paraic Connolly (Portumna), Aaron McNulty (Lahinch);
86 Jack Whelan (Limerick).
