Halfway leader, Chris Selfridge from Moyola Park. Photo: Pat Cashman
26 May 2012
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DAY TWO REPORT
Chris Selfridge from Moyola Park consolidated his lead at the top of the Golfsure sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship leader board with a second round level par 72 that sees him creep into a three shot lead on six under par.
Just 20 years old, and learning more about himself than his golf game living away from home on a golfing scholarship in the USA, the Toledo Rocket’s golf star has put himself to the front of the field with a solid second round.
Just behind him is Dermot McElroy from Ballymena, who posted a one under par 71 to go with a 70 in round one leaving him 3 under par.
Joined on that total of 141 is Eugene Smith from Ardee. Having taken bogies on the first, fourth, fifth and eighth, the 20 year old who won the Munster Youths Championship last month, found himself back to level par for the championship before the turn.
He fought back with a birdie at nine, followed by an eagle at the par five 10th hole.
Another dropped shot came at the next, but Smith held his nerve and carded birdie on the penultimate hole to bring him back to 3 under for the championship.
He found trouble off the tee on 18, a poor tee shot left him to hack out of the rough, and leave himself a wedge into the target. He found the green, and Smith held his nerve to hole the 15ft putt for par and hold the clubhouse lead for most of the day on a 3 under par total of 141.
The round of the day came from a pllayer from Greenore Golf Club, just north of Dundalk.
Keith Shannon’s round included six birdies, two bogies and an eagle three on the par five 9th hole. His round of 66 catapults him into contention.
This championship is the most prestigious event in the Irish golfing calendar, with the past winners list boasting names like Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke and of course two time Irish Close Champion Rory McIlroy.
The winner come Sunday evening will be in good company.
The cut fell at 151 with 53 players making the final two rounds.
Draw for Rounds 3 & 4
06:30 & 11:30: James Fox (Portmarnock), Joe Lyons (Birr)
06:40 & 11:40: Alan Thomas (Tramore), Stephen Watts (Cairndhu), Davey Barry (Mahon)
06:50 & 11:50: John Finnegan (Royal Portrush), Rory Leonard (Banbridge), Shaun O'Connor (Skerries)
07:00 & 12:00: Ross Kenny (Naas), Robert Cannon (Balbriggan), Nicky Grant (Knock)
07:10 & 12:10: John Greene (Carlow), Michael Durcan (Co. Sligo), Brendan Walton (The Island)
07:20 & 12:20: Ciaran McKenna (Mallow), Shaun Doherty (Ballyliffin), Ross McConnell (Belvoir Park)
07:30 & 12:30: Colin Fairweather (Knock), Gerard Dunne (Seapoint), Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu)
07:40 & 12:40: Shane McGlynn (Carton House), Alex McCloy (Ballymena), Eddie McCormack (Galway)
07:50 & 12:50: Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Simon McConnell (Ballyclare), Conor McGrogan (Newbridge)
08:00 & 13:00: Pio O'Leary (Lucan), Harry Diamond (Belvoir Park), Chris Johnston (England)
08:10 & 13:10: Rory McNamara (Headfort), Matthew McAlpin (Royal Portrush), Sean Ryan (The Royal Dublin)
08:20 & 13:20: Aaron Kearney (Castlerock), Aaron Grant (Dundalk), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock)
08:30 & 13:30: Ian Brennan (Greenore), Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little)
08:40 & 13:40: Richard O'Donovan (Lucan), Ryan Symington (Lisburn), Jack Hume (Rathsallagh)
08:50 & 13:50: Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint), Keith Shannon (Greenore), Andrew Hogan (Newlands)
09:00 & 14:00: Patrick Small (Bangor), Alan Dunbar (Rathmore), Kelan McDonagh (Athlone)
09:10 & 14:10: Niall Gorey (Muskerry), Gary Hurley (West Waterford), Reeve Whitson (Mourne)
09:20 & 14:20: Eugene Smith (Ardee), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park)
Irish Amateur Close Championship
Sponsored by Golfsure
At Royal Portrush Golf Club
25-27 May, 2012
Second Round Scores
138 C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 66 72
141 D McElroy (Ballymena) 70 71, E Smith (Ardee) 68 73
142 R Whitson (Mourne) 72 70, G Hurley (West Waterford) 71 71, N Gorey (Muskerry) 71 71
143 K McDonagh (Athlone) 73 70, A Dunbar (Rathmore) 68 75
144 P Small (Bangor) 72 72, A Hogan (Newlands) 68 76
145 K Shannon (Greenore) 79 66, S Coulter (Warrenpoint) 75 70, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 73 72, R Symington (Lisburn) 72 73, R O'Donovan (Lucan) 72 73, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 71 74
146 A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 76 70, I Brennan (Greenore) 75 71
147 G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 73 74
148 A Grant (Dundalk) 76 72, A Kearney (Castlerock) 75 73, S Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 75 73, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 74 74, R McNamara (Headfort) 74 74, C Johnston (England) 73 75, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 73 75, P O'Leary (Lucan) 72 76, C McGrogan (Newbridge) 72 76, S McConnell (Ballyclare) 70 78
149 T McLarnon (Massereene) 75 74, E McCormack (Galway) 74 75, A McCloy (Ballymena) 74 75, S McGlynn (Carton House) 70 79
150 R McKinstry (Cairndhu) 83 67, G Dunne (Seapoint) 78 72, C Fairweather (Knock) 75 75, R McConnell (Belvoir Park) 75 75, S Doherty (Ballyliffin) 74 76, C McKenna (Mallow) 74 76, B Walton (The Island) 74 76, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 73 77, J Greene (Carlow) 72 78, N Grant (Knock) 72 78, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 70 80
151 R Kenny (Naas) 77 74, S O'Connor (Skerries) 77 74, R Leonard (Banbridge) 76 75, J Finnegan (Royal Portrush) 76 75, D Barry (Mahon) 75 76, S Watts (Cairndhu) 75 76, A Thomas (Tramore) 73 78, J Lyons (Birr) 73 78, J Fox (Portmarnock) 69 82
Non qualifiers
152 S Moran (Carton House) 80 72, C Carroll (Shandon Park) 75 77, S Walsh (Baltinglass) 74 78
153 J Yates (Naas) 80 73, B Best (Royal Portrush) 80 73, B Casey (Headfort) 79 74, C Kenny (Curragh) 78 75, M Brett (Portmarnock) 78 75, S O'Hara (Co. Sligo) 78 75, F O'Sullivan (Tralee) 77 76, Q Carew (Edenderry) 77 76, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 76 77, G Mungovan (Headfort) 75 78
154 J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) 77 77, W Hanna (Kilkeel) 77 77, S Ward (Co. Louth) 75 79, M Sinclair (Knock) 75 79, D Loftus (Castlebar) 75 79, R Dawson (Faithlegg) 74 80, C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 80
155 D Downie (Sutton) 79 76, J Pierse (Grange) 79 76, A Purdy (Ballyclare) 78 77, R Weldon (Killeen Castle) 78 77, P O'Kane (Moyola Park) 77 78, L Mulligan (Stackstown) 72 83
156 I Lynch (Rosslare) 81 75, C Doran (Banbridge) 80 76, P McBride (The Island) 80 76, J Turner (Royal Portrush) 78 78, B Stevens (Spa) 77 79, D Coghlan (The Royal Dublin) 75 81, I Moore (Dunmurry) 74 82
157 C Sharvin (Ardglass) 82 75, D Coyne (Tuam) 80 77, M Mullen (Wexford) 80 77, P Mc Keever (Castle) 76 81, G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 75 82, A Burns (Galgorm Castle) 75 82
158 D O'Sullivan (Strandhill) 78 80, J Richardson (Royal Portrush) 77 81, G Walsh (Mount Juliet) 77 81, S Brady (Co. Sligo) 77 81, J Whelan (Newlands) 75 83, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 75 83, C Molloy (Ardee) 72 86
159 M Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 85 74, D Holland (Castle) 82 77, E Cradock (Gort) 81 78, J Galbraith (Whitehead) 80 79, S Miskelly (Knock) 80 79, B Anderson (Co. Sligo) 75 84
160 C Glynn (Carton House) 82 78, S Healy (Claremorris) 81 79, N Steedman (Courtown) 80 80, I Kettyle (Rathmore) 80 80, K Stack (Dungarvan) 80 80, N Crawford (Mourne) 79 81, A Kelly (Muskerry) 79 81, R Bridges (Stackstown) 77 83, C Moulds (Lisburn) 77 83, M McKnight (Lisburn) 72 88
161 S Carter (Stackstown) 86 75, R Burke (Castle) 85 76, R McNeill (Gracehill) 83 78, D Coyle (Co. Louth) 83 78, B Fennelly (The Royal Dublin) 82 79, T O'Leary (Wexford) 80 81, P Gibb (Massereene) 80 81, M Richards (Carton House) 79 82, M Kane (Whitehead) 76 85
162 B Martin (Killymoon) 81 81, K Egan (Carton House) 80 82
163 J Hopkins (Skerries) 77 86
164 S Dwyer (Lucan) 86 78, D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 84 80, S Bryan (Delgany) 83 81, E O'Donovan (Craddockstown) 78 86
166 P McCrudden (Royal Portrush) 84 82, A Stevens (Spa) 80 86
169 M Welsh (Knock) 86 83, D Hallissey (Muskerry) 86 83, B McCormack (Castle Barna) 84 85, D O'Neill (Carton House) 82 87, M Reid (Galgorm Castle) 81 88
173 S Winsby (Whitehead) 82 91
179 C Carvill (Belvoir Park) 94 85
NR S Rea (Carrickfergus) 78 NR
WTD M Hammond (Moyola Park) 86 WTD