BRABAZON TROPHY LATEST

Off-colour Dear is in there pitching

but McNicoll, Booth miss the cut

It's Ireland's weekend so far on the golfing front. Amateur Shane Lowry shares the third-round lead in the Irish Open and in the English open amateur stroke-play championship for the Brabazon Trophy at soggy Moortown Golf Club near Leeds, Irish international Cian Curley from the Newlands club near Dublin is one ahead of the field after the one qualifying round.

Murrayshall's new Irish open amateur stroke-play champion and Craigmillar Park Open winner Gavin Dear, pictured left in action today by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography, despite feeling decidely off colour, will start Sunday's final two rounds in joint second place, one behind Curley after a 69.

With Friday's opening round cancelled because of rain, there was little margin for error in today's round at the end of which there was a cut to the leading 59 players on 74 or better.

That meant Steven McEwan (Caprington) and the defending champion, left-hander Steven Uzell got through to Sunday's 36 holes by the skin of their teeth, McEwan to join compatriots Dear, Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) and the Colville Park pair, Ross Kellett and Edward Trophy winner Paul O'Hara, among the qualifiers.

But there were some big Scottish names among those on the wrong side of the 74 cut-off line, including last year's St Andrews Links Trophy and Leven Gold Medal winner Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie) and last weekend's Irish open amateur runner-up Wallace Booth (Comrie) who will be defending the Scottish open amateur stroke play championship at Murcar Links the week after next.

McNicoll had a 75 and Booth a 78. Other Scots eliminated were Greg Paterson (St Andrews New), Gordon Yates (Hilton Park), Scott Borrowman (Dollar), James Ross (Royal Burgess) and James Byrne (Banchory).

Byrne flew back to Britain from Arizona State University before the end of term to play in this tournament and came through one of the pre-qualifying competitions.

In the last three to finish this evening, James was three over par with four holes to play. If he could cover them in level par for a 74, then he was a qualifier. But he finished on five-over 76 and missed the cut by two.

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE:

Todd Adcock has the chance to add the Brabazon Trophy, supported by SkyCaddie, to his English Amateur Championship after holding the lead during round two at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds
On a day of frequent showers and sunny periods following Friday's first-round wash-out, the English champion from Sussex fired a two-under-par 69, later matched by Hampshire’s Darren Wright and Scotland’s Gavin Dear, on a crowded leaderboard.
But they were both overtaken by Irish international Cian Curley, who leads on three-under-par 68 to set up a thrilling final 36 holes.
Curley, whose Christian named is pronounced Keen, looked to be heading for a comfortable lead as he reached the turn in 31 with five of his seven birdies. But bogeys at the testing final two holes brought him back to the field.
“I had a very good start, covering the front nine in five under. But I wasn’t so solid on the back nine,” he admitted. “It’s a tough finish and I missed the last three greens. But overall I’m happy
“I’ve been knocking on the door in tournaments back home and I’ve been playing well this year,” added the man from the Newlands club in Dublin.
But is he a good front-runner? “We’ll find out tomorrow,” he said.
Adcock knows he can join an elite group if he can lift the trophy. “It will mean a lot to have both titles but we’ll wait and see,” said the 23 year old.
“I am very happy with 69. It could have been a lot better but I would have taken it before the start. I made the most of what I had including a nice eagle at the 12th. But I’ll play every hole as they come and we’ll see what tomorrow’s weather brings.”
Wright, winner of the West of England stroke play last month, also signed for 69 but he was annoyed at dropping a shot at the short 17th.
“I hit a six-iron into the trap, came out to four feet but the putt lipped out,” said the 20 year old from Rowlands Castle.
“We had a lot of showers during the round which meant a lot of messing around with waterproofs and umbrellas. Maybe I should have finished three under but the West of England win has been a great confidence booster.”
Dear, a late starter, had five birdies and a double-bogey in his 69 having not felt well until the last five or six holes.
“I don’t know what the problem is but I’m happy with my score,” he said. “I haven’t been sleeping well and I’m looking forward to having a weekend off next week.
Among those on 70 is Ben Martin from Worthing, who led the qualifiers on Thursday, Hampshire youngster Neil Raymond and Kent champion Liam Burns.
Defending champion Steve Uzzell returned a three-over-par 74 and declared: “It was rubbish.”
He was going along smoothly at level par through 14 holes but ran up three bogeys in the last four holes.
“I drove into a gorse bush on 15 then had to drop in the rough on 16 from a puddle,” he said. “On 17 I found a down slope in a bunker which I didn’t think possible and dropped another shot.”
Fellow international Jamie Abbott also fell foul of the closing stretch, dropping shots at the last three holes for a one-over-par 72, while Oliver Farr from Shropshire bogeyed the last two holes for a level-par 71.
With just one round to qualify for the final 36 holes, 59 players on 74 or better qualified for the final 36 holes.Among those who missed were England internationals Luke Goddard (76), Farren Keenan (75) and Eddie Pepperell (81) along with Welsh Walker Cup man Nigel Edwards (75) and England captain Colin Edwards (78).