O'NEIL SHARES LEAD IN IRISH OPEN AMATEUR AT WINDY DUBLIN

                       CONOR O'NEIL in action. Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

First round leader Graeme "Ace" Robertson blew up with a second-round 81 - 12 strokes more than he took on Friday - to drop out of the picture but another Scot, 20-year-old Conor O'Neil (Pollok) kept the Saltire flying at the top of the leaderboard

on the second day of the Irish men's open amateur stroke-play golf championship at

a still very windy Royal Dublin Golf Club links.

O'Neil posted a 73 for 145 to figure in a halfway tie for the lead with Irishmen Aaron Kearney, Robbie Cannon and Jack Hume.

O'Neil was smartly into his stride with an eagle at the second and a birdie at the third

he was just about blown over when the wind suddenly rose to gale-force when he was at the seventh.

He dropped four shots over the next three holes before settling down again to par from 10 to the 16th. He birdied the 17th and would have been the leader on his own but for a three-putt bogey at the last.

Scott Borrowman (Dollar) had a very good 71 - the best score by anyone on a day when all four seasons were experienced (plus a very strong wind) - to climb up to 149, one shot ahead of the deposed leader Robertson who had rounds of 69-81 for 150.
If Graeme was "lucky" to get a hole in one on Friday, he could claim he was unlucky to run up three double bogeys, two on his outward half.
Six Scots figured among those players with totals of 152 and better who qualified for Sunday's final 36 holes - O'Neil, Borrowman, Robertson, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle), 76 for 150, Ewan Scott (St Andrews) 75 for 151 and Jack McDonald (Kilmanrock Barassie) 80 for 152.

SCROLL DOWN PAST THE SCORES TO READ THE 
REPORT ON THE IRISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
AND TEE TIMES FOR SUNDAY

HALFWAY LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72) CSS 75 77
Players from Ireland unless stated
145 Aaron Kearney 70 75, Robbie Cannon 70 75, Jack Hume 71 74, Conor O'Neil (Pollok) 72 74.
146 Jamie Rutherford (Eng) 71 75.
147 Matt Kippen (Eng) 72 75, Robin Dawson 72 75, Robert McNamara 73 74.

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES:
149 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 78 71 (T11).
150 Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 69 81, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 74 76 (T22).
151 Ewan Scott (St Andrews) 75 76 (T26)
152 Jack McDonald (Kimanrock Barassie) 72 80 (T32).

MISSED THE CUT
155 Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 80 75, Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 77 78, Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 74 81.
156 Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 79 77, Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 79 79, Neil Henderson (Renaissance) 75 81.
157 James Hendrick (Pollok) 77 80, Ross Bell (Downfield) 80 77.
158 Jamie Savage (Cawder) 75 83.
159 James White (Lundin) 77 82
160 James Ross (Royal Burgess) 81 79.
161 Malcolm Pennycott (Isle of Arran) 83 78.

FROM THE IRISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

A four-way tie at the halfway stage of the Irish Amateur Open sees Ireland’s Jack Hume, Aaron Kearney and Robbie Cannon share the lead with Scotland’s Conor O’Neill.

Wind, rain, hail and sunshine dominated on a day when only one player, Scott Borrowman from Dollar, broke the par of 72, with the Scot carding a one-under par 71. 

Hume, who was runner up in the prestigious Lytham Trophy last weekend, played his front nine in a score of 2 over par heading into the back nine here at Royal Dublin. 

A double bogey at the hardest hole on the course, the tough index one par 4 tenth gave him a poor start to the tough back nine here at the Dollymount links but birdies on holes 11 and 14 helped him steady the ship and no more dropped shots left the Rathsallagh club member in a share of the lead. 

Cannon and Kearney both shot rounds of 75 while Conor O’Neill signed for a 73.

Overnight leader Graeme Robertson, who led at three-under par, suffered a nightmare on the front nine of his second round, with two double bogeys and one more on the back nine, leaving him to come home with an 81 to lie on six-over par, five shots off the lead.

Defending champion Gavin Moynihan is not out of contention, and a solid 73 in the second round leaves him just four behind.

Play commences just before 7am on Sunday, with the top 40 and ties hoping to emulate the likes of Padraig Harrington and Louis Oosthuizen (and a few Scots besides!) and become Irish Amateur Open champion.

 

ALL THE SECOND-ROUND TOTALS 

Par 144 (2x72)

145 C O'Neill (Scotland) 72 73, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 71 74, A Kearney (Castlerock) 70 75, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 70 75

146 J Rutherford (England) 71 75

147 R McNamara (Headfort) 73 74, R Dawson (Faithlegg) 72 75, M Kippen (England) 72 75

148 M Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 75 73, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 72 76

149 S Borrowman (Scotland) 78 71, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 76 73, D McElroy (Ballymena) 76 73, G Moynihan (The Island) 76 73, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 76 73, R O'Donovan (Lucan) 76 73, K Le Blanc (The Island) 73 76, C Sharvin (Ardglass) 72 77, S Healy (Claremorris) 71 78, P Murray (Limerick) 71 78, J Fox (Portmarnock) 71 78

150 S Binning (Scotland) 74 76, S O'Hara (Co. Sligo) 74 76, P McBride (The Island) 74 76, G Robertson (Scotland) 69 81

151 D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 79 72, S Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 79 72, C Geraghty (Laytown and Bettystown) 76 75, N Kimsey (England) 76 75, E Scott (Scotland) 75 76, T McLarnon (Massereene) 74 77

152 J Shufflebotham (Wales) 77 75, R Arnorsson (Iceland) 76 76, G McGrane (The Royal Dublin) 76 76, J Greene (Carlow) 76 76, T Bakker (Finland) 75 77, W Jones (Wales) 75 77, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 75 77, R Connolly (Rathsallagh) 75 77, S Moran (Carton House) 73 79, R Bridges (Stackstown) 73 79, J McDonald (Scotland) 72 80, N Grant (Knock) 71 81

 

MISSED THE CUT

153 C McKenna (Mallow) 79 74, S Ward (Co. Louth) 77 76, M Shanahan (Castlemartyr) 76 77, E Smith (Ardee) 74 79, G Bohill (Co. Louth) 71 82

154 D Barry (Mahon) 80 74, J Lyons (Galway) 80 74, C Fairweather (Knock) 76 78, E O'Keeffe (Corrstown) 75 79, A Hogan (Newlands) 74 80

155 M Killen (England) 81 74, R Whitson (Mourne) 80 75, F McKenna (Scotland) 80 75, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 79 76, A Purdy (Ballyclare) 79 76, B Best (Rathmore) 78 77, G Stevenson (Scotland) 77 78, A Dunton (Scotland) 74 81, S Grehan (Tullamore) 74 81

156 G Collins (Rosslare) 81 75, J Yates (Naas) 80 76, A Culverwell (Scotland) 79 77, L Ruuska (Finland) 78 78, P Kelly (England) 78 78, C Doran (Banbridge) 78 78, M Clark (Scotland) 77 79, P Coughlan (Moate) 77 79, P Spraggs (England) 77 79, N Henderson (Scotland) 75 81, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 74 82, K Holmes (England) 74 82, B Casey (Headfort) 74 82

157 R Bell (Scotland) 80 77, S Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 79 78, D Holland (Castle) 79 78, K Lynch (Skibbereen/NUIM) 78 79, S O'Connor (Luttrellstown Castle) 77 80, J Hendrick (Scotland) 77 80, N Raymond (England) 73 84

158 G Costa (Portugal) 83 75, J Sugrue (Mallow) 80 78, K McCarthy (Kinsale) 79 79, S McGlynn (Carton House) 79 79, G Pinto (Portugal) 79 79, J Savage (Scotland) 75 83

159 I Lynch (Rosslare) 84 75, J Carlota (Portugal) 83 76, S Walsh (Portmarnock) 81 78, S Davidson (Italy) 80 79, R Lester (Hermitage) 80 79, C Drumm (Rosslare) 80 79, B Daly (Edmondstown) 78 81, M Sinclair (Knock) 78 81, G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 77 82, J White (Scotland) 77 82, M Gaspar (Portugal) 76 83

160 S Bryan (Delgany) 82 78, A Verschaeren (Luxembourg) 81 79, J Ross (Scotland) 81 79

161 M Pennycott (Scotland) 83 78, M Kane (Whitehead) 82 79, W Hanna (Kilkeel) 81 80, D O'Neill (Carton House) 80 81, J Kukkonen (Finland) 79 82, R Gardarsson (Iceland) 78 83

162 S Hogan (Nenagh) 82 80, I Brennan (Greenore) 82 80, H Coyne (Carton House) 81 81

163 S Carter (Stackstown/NUIM) 85 78, L McMillan (Carton House) 83 80, L Sandvoll (Norway) 79 84

165 J Arnoy (Norway) 85 80, N Foley (The Island) 83 82

167 T Toivonen (Finland) 82 85, G McKenna (Fortwilliam) 80 87

 

NR G Lawlor (Newbridge) 77 NR

 

CSS  Rd 1 – 75

 Rd 2 – 77 

 

 

Draw for Rounds 3 & 4

06:55/12:10 N Grant (Knock), J McDonald (Sco)

07:05/12:20 R Bridges (Stackstown), S Moran (Carton House)

07:15/12:30 R Connolly (Rathsallagh), M McAlpin (R’yal P’rush), W Jones (Wal)

07:25/12:40 T Bakker (Fin), J Greene (Carlow), G McGrane (Ryl Dub)

07:35/12:50 R Arnorsson (Ice), J Shufflebotham (Wal), T McLarnon (M’reene)

07:45/13:00 E Scott (Sco), N Kimsey (Eng), C Geraghty (L&B)

07:55/13:10 S Flanagan (Co. Sligo), D O'Donovan (Muskerry), G Robertson (Sco)

08:05/13:20 P McBride (The Island), S O'Hara (Co. Sligo), S Binning (Sco)

08:15/13:30 J Fox (Portmarnock), P Murray (Limerick), S Healy (Claremorris)

08:25/13:40 C Sharvin (Ardglass), K Le Blanc (The Island), R O'Donovan (Lucan)

08:35/13:50 H Diamond (Belvoir Park), G Moynihan (The Island), D McElroy (Ballymena)

08:45/14:00 G Lenehan (Portmarnock), S Borrowman (Sco), C Campbell (W’point)

08:55/14:10 M Morrissey (Mount Wolseley), M Kippen (Eng), R Dawson (Faithlegg)

09:05/14:20 R McNamara (Headfort), J Rutherford (Eng), R Cannon (Balbriggan)

09:15/14:30 A Kearney (Castlerock), Jack Hume (Rathsallagh), C O'Neill (Sco)