Gavin Dear drops out of picture with an 81

Niall Kearney takes over as Brabazon

Trophy leader with one round to go

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

Irish eyes were still smiling after the third round of the Brabazon Trophy, supported by SkyCaddie, was completed in generally dry if testing conditions at Moortown this morning.
However, the identity of the leader had changed with Niall Kearney taking over at the top from Cian Curley (picture by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography).

Kearney, from Royal Dublin, shot a fine, five-birdie 68 for four-under-par 138 and leads by two strokes from Kent champion Liam Burns, who returned a second 70, with one round to go in the rain-shortened tournament.
In third place on 142, level par, is Lansdown greenkeeper Richard Carter, who also signed for 68 containing six birdies and three bogeys, all at short holes.
Overnight leader Cian Curley from Ireland dropped back on 144 after a 76, while Darren Wright and Todd Adcock also saw their challenge blunted.
Wright, from Hampshire, returned 75 for 144 while English champion Adcock had 76 including a triple-bogey seven at the last where he thinned his bunker shot through the green into an unplayable lie and took three more to get down.
Young England international Tommy Fleetwood looked set to join the front-runners but he bogeyed the last two holes for a 73 and 144.

Last weekend's Irish open amateur stroke-play championship winner Gavin Dear from Murrayshall, Perthshire dropped out of the picture with an 81, 12 shots more than he required for his first circuit of the Moortown course on Saturday.

Joint top Scots are Steven McEwan (Caprington) and former Scottish match-play champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) on 145, seven off the pace. McEwan had a second-round 71, Campbell a 73.

SECOND ROUND LEADERS

Par 142 (2 x 71)

138 N Kearney 70 68.

140 L Burns 70 70.

142 R Carter 74 68.

143 J Hurst 72 71, S Haywood 72 71, D Lernihan 71 72.

144 T Fleetwood 71 73, H P Bacher 71 73, C Ford 71 73, S Hodgson 71 73, D Wright 69 75, C Curley 68 76.

145 S McEwan 74 71, A Hogan 74 71, G Campbell 72 73, N Bertasio 72 73, O Farr 71 74, T Adcock 69 76.

Selected scores:

146 R Kellett 73 73 (jt 19th).

150 G Dear 69 81 (jt 42nd).

153 P O'Hara 73 80 (jt 52nd).