Gavin Moynihan heading for second Irish title
in four years after brilliant third-round 65
FROM THE IRISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Gavin Moynihan, last year's Scottish open amateur stroke-play champion and Walker Cup team candidate from The Island Golf Club near Dublin, is on the cusp of his second Irish Amateur Open title in four years after setting a course record of seven-under 65 in today's third round at Royal Dublin's links.
His companion in Sunday's final round will be another young talent from The Island Golf Club, 17-year-old Kevin LeBlanc, who birdied his last two holes to join Moynihan on six under par 210.
The home pair enjoy a four-shot lead over the field, with Jonathan Yates from Naas and Welshman Richard James leading the chasing pack.
Moynihan, a second-year student at the University of Alabama, will be a hard man to beat on a course he has often mastered. The 20-year-old is 10 under for his last 26 holes, having rescued his tournament midway through Friday's second round with three birdies on the back nine.
"I can't really explain how happy I am," said Moynihan. "I've been playing well for a while, I just haven't had the results."
If he does go on to win the title on Sunday, Moynihan can trace his victory back to a birdie on the 13th in Friday's second round. The 2012 champion incurred a trio of double bogeys on his front nine during an afternoon storm that almost blew him out of the tournament. When the going was at its toughest, Moynihan rallied with three birdies in six holes.
Grateful to be greeted by dry, calm conditions this afternoon, Moynihan continued his revival and reached the turn in 30. thanks to his fifth birdie of the round on the par-three ninth. And yet it was a par save on the 11th that proved crucial.
"The 11th hole was the biggest point in the round for me. I hit a bad tee shot left and laid up. I had six iron for my third shot and missed it right. I chipped it to about 10 feet and made the putt so that was huge," he said.
His only bogey of the round came on the 13th but he was in full stride again with a birdie from eight feet on 16. By that stage he was leading the tournament on five under, having begun the day six shots behind overnight leader Jack Hume.
"Especially the conditions, I needed a good round because I knew Jack and the boys on top would shoot level or one over," said Moynihan. While Hume fell away with an unexpected 78, Moynihan continued to charge and drained a 25-footer on the 17th for his seventh birdie of the round -- his 14th of the week so far.
A two-putt par on 18 gave him a 65 and a new course record, lowering the mark set by Lloyd Saltman in 2007, who carded a 66 en route to the title that year.
"It's been coming, the game has been there," Moynihan insisted. And it was his clubmate LeBlanc who emerged as his only rival, thanks to a birdie-birdie finish.
Last year's R ad A Junior Open champion began brightly, picking up birdies on the first two holes to get within one of the lead.
He remained two under for his round through 16 and then pitched in for birdie on 17. A superb approach just past the flag on 18 set up another birdie to take a share of the lead and set up a fascinating final round pairing with Moynihan.
If the winner does not come from the last group, it will take something special from the chasing pack. Jonathan Yates from Naas is alongside Richard James from Wales in the penultimate two-ball although they have four shots to make up. If the wind gets up tomorrow afternoon, that deficit could be quickly erased.
Second round leader Jack Hume is seven adrift at one over. He dropped four shots in his last seven holes and needs help from those above him to have any chance of making up the leeway on Sunday.
The cut fell at seven over and 50 players made it through. The first group goes out at 8.09am with the leaders off at 11.45am.
+SCROLL DOWN TO READ ABOUT THE SCOTS
THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72) CSS 75 76 75
210: Gavin Moynihan (The Island) 69 76 65, Kevin LeBlanc (The Island) 71 71 68
214: Richard James (Wales) 69 74 71, Jonathan Yates (Naas) 72 71 71
215: Rowan Lester (Hermitage) 72 73 70, Thomas Mulligan (Co. Louth) 69 75 71, Tom Gandy (Isle of Man) 71 72 72, Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass) 72 71 72
216: Jack McDonald (Scotland) 72 75 69, Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) 69 77 70, Lukas Lipold (Austria) 70 73 73, Craig Ross (Scotland) 71 72 73, Evan Griffith (Wales) 69 72 75
217: Jake Whelan (Newlands) 76 72 69, Aaron Grant (Dundalk) 75 72 70, Ewen Ferguson (Scotland) 76 70 71, Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) 70 76 71, Marco Penge (England) 71 73 73, Jack Hume (Naas) 69 70 78
218: Gary Collins (Rosslare) 70 77 71, Stuart Grehan (Tullamore) 72 74 72
219: Marco Iten (Switzerland) 72 76 71, Gary Hurley (West Waterford/MU) 71 76 72, Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) 78 68 73, James Allan (England) 74 72 73
220: Nicholas Poppleton (England) 77 72 71, Jeff Hopkins (Royal Dublin) 70 76 74, Tomas Bessa (Portugal) 72 72 76
221: Shaun Carter (Royal Dublin) 73 77 71, Richard Bridges (Stackstown) 73 77 71, Greig Marchbank (Scotland) 72 77 72, Stuart Bleakley (Shandon Park) 74 74 73, Luke Trocado (South Africa) 69 79 73, Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell) 71 74 76
222: Michele Cea (Italy) 78 76 68, Eugene Smith (Ardee) 77 74 71, Conor O'Rourke (Naas) 73 75 74, Axel Boasson (Iceland) 77 70 75, Sean Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 76 71 75, Damon Coulson (England) 75 72 75, Barry Anderson (Royal Dublin) 74 72 76, Colin Fairweather (Knock) 69 76 77, Tim Harry (Wales) 71 74 77
223: Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little.) 75 77 71, John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead) 70 82 71, Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 74 76 73, Declan Loftus (Castlebar/mu) 77 72 74, Alex Gleeson (Castle) 76 73 74, Matthew Jordan (England) 74 75 74, Christian Braeunig (Germany) 72 75 76
MISSED THE CUT
224: Markus Habeler (Austria) 72 82 70, Ollie Roberts (Hong Kong) 71 80 73, Marcel Zillekens (Germany) 74 76 74, Jack Pierse (Portmarnock) 74 74 76, John Hickey (Cork) 72 75 77
225: Robin Dawson (Faithlegg/MU) 70 85 70, Connor Syme (Scotland) 71 81 73, Nick Macandrew (Scotland) 77 74 74, Alexander Culverwell (Scotland) 69 76 80
226: Gordon Stevenson (Scotland) 78 77 71, Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle) 78 77 71, Murray Naysmith (Scotland) 82 72 72, James Fox (Portmarnock) 79 75 72, William Enefer (England) 70 83 73, Ryan Symington (Lisburn) 74 78 74, Jarand Ekeland Arnoy (Norway) 75 77 74, Mathias Eggenberger (Switzerland) 77 74 75, Ben Best (Rathmore) 77 72 77, Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin) 76 70 80, Marc Nolan (Delgany) 72 72 82
227: Ronan Mullarney (Galway) 76 80 71, Michael Sinclair (Knock) 74 79 74, Seve Prins (Netherlands) 83 69 75
228: Anthony Blaney (Scotland) 75 80 73, Jamie Savage (Scotland) 73 82 73, Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint) 75 80 73, Kevin Reints (Netherlands) 74 76 78
229: Claudio Consul (Germany) 75 80 74, Colin Baird (Scotland) 77 76 76
230: Gary McDermott (Carton House) 76 82 72, Michael Hegemann (Germany) 78 79 73, Eanna Griffin (Waterford) 74 80 76
231: Cedomir Ilic (Serbia) 80 77 74
232: Simon Bryan (Delgany) 75 84 73, Eoin Leonard (Wentworth) 77 81 74, Jack Bush (Wales) 79 79 74, Paul Coughlan (Moate) 83 75 74, Kyle McCarron (North West) 72 86 74, Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little.) 73 81 78, Stephen Healy (Carton House) 77 76 79
233: Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin) 78 80 75, Edward Richardson (England) 76 81 76, Scott Gibson (Scotland) 73 80 80
234: Michael Hirmer (Germany) 73 88 73, Gianmaria Rean Trinchero (Italy) 77 84 73, Ian O'Rourke (Royal Dublin) 76 83 75, James Smedley (England) 78 80 76, Ashley Mason (England) 82 74 78
235: Sigot Lopez (Spain) 77 82 76, Declan O'Neill (Carton House) 77 80 78, Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 72 84 79
236: Shane McGlynn (Carton House) 81 82 73, Michael Ludwig (Austria) 74 84 78, Robert Cannon (Balbriggan) 76 81 79, Andy Borg (Malta) 75 80 81
237: Adam Wilson (Wales) 75 81 81
239: Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) 79 82 78, Roy Connolly (Palmerstown Stud) 80 80 79, Christopher MacLean (Scotland) 75 85 79, Petr Dedek (Czech Republic) 81 79 79
242: Shaun O'Connor (Carton House) 75 85 82
245: Casper Simberg (Finland) 85 80 80
246: Mel Loetscher (Switzerland) 81 90 75, Jan Szmidt (Poland) 76 91 79
249: Thomas Hackett (USA) 84 90 75
Withdrew: Vitor Lopes (Portugal) 72 84 WD, Johannes Lube (Germany) 79 89 WD, Mark Shanahan (Castlemartyr) 79 WD
No Returns: John McGinn (Laytown and Bettystown) 82 78
NR, John Morris (Rosslare) 76 NR
in four years after brilliant third-round 65
FROM THE IRISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Gavin Moynihan, last year's Scottish open amateur stroke-play champion and Walker Cup team candidate from The Island Golf Club near Dublin, is on the cusp of his second Irish Amateur Open title in four years after setting a course record of seven-under 65 in today's third round at Royal Dublin's links.
His companion in Sunday's final round will be another young talent from The Island Golf Club, 17-year-old Kevin LeBlanc, who birdied his last two holes to join Moynihan on six under par 210.
The home pair enjoy a four-shot lead over the field, with Jonathan Yates from Naas and Welshman Richard James leading the chasing pack.
Moynihan, a second-year student at the University of Alabama, will be a hard man to beat on a course he has often mastered. The 20-year-old is 10 under for his last 26 holes, having rescued his tournament midway through Friday's second round with three birdies on the back nine.
"I can't really explain how happy I am," said Moynihan. "I've been playing well for a while, I just haven't had the results."
If he does go on to win the title on Sunday, Moynihan can trace his victory back to a birdie on the 13th in Friday's second round. The 2012 champion incurred a trio of double bogeys on his front nine during an afternoon storm that almost blew him out of the tournament. When the going was at its toughest, Moynihan rallied with three birdies in six holes.
Grateful to be greeted by dry, calm conditions this afternoon, Moynihan continued his revival and reached the turn in 30. thanks to his fifth birdie of the round on the par-three ninth. And yet it was a par save on the 11th that proved crucial.
"The 11th hole was the biggest point in the round for me. I hit a bad tee shot left and laid up. I had six iron for my third shot and missed it right. I chipped it to about 10 feet and made the putt so that was huge," he said.
His only bogey of the round came on the 13th but he was in full stride again with a birdie from eight feet on 16. By that stage he was leading the tournament on five under, having begun the day six shots behind overnight leader Jack Hume.
"Especially the conditions, I needed a good round because I knew Jack and the boys on top would shoot level or one over," said Moynihan. While Hume fell away with an unexpected 78, Moynihan continued to charge and drained a 25-footer on the 17th for his seventh birdie of the round -- his 14th of the week so far.
A two-putt par on 18 gave him a 65 and a new course record, lowering the mark set by Lloyd Saltman in 2007, who carded a 66 en route to the title that year.
"It's been coming, the game has been there," Moynihan insisted. And it was his clubmate LeBlanc who emerged as his only rival, thanks to a birdie-birdie finish.
Last year's R ad A Junior Open champion began brightly, picking up birdies on the first two holes to get within one of the lead.
He remained two under for his round through 16 and then pitched in for birdie on 17. A superb approach just past the flag on 18 set up another birdie to take a share of the lead and set up a fascinating final round pairing with Moynihan.
If the winner does not come from the last group, it will take something special from the chasing pack. Jonathan Yates from Naas is alongside Richard James from Wales in the penultimate two-ball although they have four shots to make up. If the wind gets up tomorrow afternoon, that deficit could be quickly erased.
Second round leader Jack Hume is seven adrift at one over. He dropped four shots in his last seven holes and needs help from those above him to have any chance of making up the leeway on Sunday.
The cut fell at seven over and 50 players made it through. The first group goes out at 8.09am with the leaders off at 11.45am.
+SCROLL DOWN TO READ ABOUT THE SCOTS
THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72) CSS 75 76 75
210: Gavin Moynihan (The Island) 69 76 65, Kevin LeBlanc (The Island) 71 71 68
214: Richard James (Wales) 69 74 71, Jonathan Yates (Naas) 72 71 71
215: Rowan Lester (Hermitage) 72 73 70, Thomas Mulligan (Co. Louth) 69 75 71, Tom Gandy (Isle of Man) 71 72 72, Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass) 72 71 72
216: Jack McDonald (Scotland) 72 75 69, Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) 69 77 70, Lukas Lipold (Austria) 70 73 73, Craig Ross (Scotland) 71 72 73, Evan Griffith (Wales) 69 72 75
217: Jake Whelan (Newlands) 76 72 69, Aaron Grant (Dundalk) 75 72 70, Ewen Ferguson (Scotland) 76 70 71, Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) 70 76 71, Marco Penge (England) 71 73 73, Jack Hume (Naas) 69 70 78
218: Gary Collins (Rosslare) 70 77 71, Stuart Grehan (Tullamore) 72 74 72
219: Marco Iten (Switzerland) 72 76 71, Gary Hurley (West Waterford/MU) 71 76 72, Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) 78 68 73, James Allan (England) 74 72 73
220: Nicholas Poppleton (England) 77 72 71, Jeff Hopkins (Royal Dublin) 70 76 74, Tomas Bessa (Portugal) 72 72 76
221: Shaun Carter (Royal Dublin) 73 77 71, Richard Bridges (Stackstown) 73 77 71, Greig Marchbank (Scotland) 72 77 72, Stuart Bleakley (Shandon Park) 74 74 73, Luke Trocado (South Africa) 69 79 73, Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell) 71 74 76
222: Michele Cea (Italy) 78 76 68, Eugene Smith (Ardee) 77 74 71, Conor O'Rourke (Naas) 73 75 74, Axel Boasson (Iceland) 77 70 75, Sean Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 76 71 75, Damon Coulson (England) 75 72 75, Barry Anderson (Royal Dublin) 74 72 76, Colin Fairweather (Knock) 69 76 77, Tim Harry (Wales) 71 74 77
223: Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little.) 75 77 71, John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead) 70 82 71, Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 74 76 73, Declan Loftus (Castlebar/mu) 77 72 74, Alex Gleeson (Castle) 76 73 74, Matthew Jordan (England) 74 75 74, Christian Braeunig (Germany) 72 75 76
MISSED THE CUT
224: Markus Habeler (Austria) 72 82 70, Ollie Roberts (Hong Kong) 71 80 73, Marcel Zillekens (Germany) 74 76 74, Jack Pierse (Portmarnock) 74 74 76, John Hickey (Cork) 72 75 77
225: Robin Dawson (Faithlegg/MU) 70 85 70, Connor Syme (Scotland) 71 81 73, Nick Macandrew (Scotland) 77 74 74, Alexander Culverwell (Scotland) 69 76 80
226: Gordon Stevenson (Scotland) 78 77 71, Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle) 78 77 71, Murray Naysmith (Scotland) 82 72 72, James Fox (Portmarnock) 79 75 72, William Enefer (England) 70 83 73, Ryan Symington (Lisburn) 74 78 74, Jarand Ekeland Arnoy (Norway) 75 77 74, Mathias Eggenberger (Switzerland) 77 74 75, Ben Best (Rathmore) 77 72 77, Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin) 76 70 80, Marc Nolan (Delgany) 72 72 82
227: Ronan Mullarney (Galway) 76 80 71, Michael Sinclair (Knock) 74 79 74, Seve Prins (Netherlands) 83 69 75
228: Anthony Blaney (Scotland) 75 80 73, Jamie Savage (Scotland) 73 82 73, Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint) 75 80 73, Kevin Reints (Netherlands) 74 76 78
229: Claudio Consul (Germany) 75 80 74, Colin Baird (Scotland) 77 76 76
230: Gary McDermott (Carton House) 76 82 72, Michael Hegemann (Germany) 78 79 73, Eanna Griffin (Waterford) 74 80 76
231: Cedomir Ilic (Serbia) 80 77 74
232: Simon Bryan (Delgany) 75 84 73, Eoin Leonard (Wentworth) 77 81 74, Jack Bush (Wales) 79 79 74, Paul Coughlan (Moate) 83 75 74, Kyle McCarron (North West) 72 86 74, Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little.) 73 81 78, Stephen Healy (Carton House) 77 76 79
233: Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin) 78 80 75, Edward Richardson (England) 76 81 76, Scott Gibson (Scotland) 73 80 80
234: Michael Hirmer (Germany) 73 88 73, Gianmaria Rean Trinchero (Italy) 77 84 73, Ian O'Rourke (Royal Dublin) 76 83 75, James Smedley (England) 78 80 76, Ashley Mason (England) 82 74 78
235: Sigot Lopez (Spain) 77 82 76, Declan O'Neill (Carton House) 77 80 78, Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 72 84 79
236: Shane McGlynn (Carton House) 81 82 73, Michael Ludwig (Austria) 74 84 78, Robert Cannon (Balbriggan) 76 81 79, Andy Borg (Malta) 75 80 81
237: Adam Wilson (Wales) 75 81 81
239: Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) 79 82 78, Roy Connolly (Palmerstown Stud) 80 80 79, Christopher MacLean (Scotland) 75 85 79, Petr Dedek (Czech Republic) 81 79 79
242: Shaun O'Connor (Carton House) 75 85 82
245: Casper Simberg (Finland) 85 80 80
246: Mel Loetscher (Switzerland) 81 90 75, Jan Szmidt (Poland) 76 91 79
249: Thomas Hackett (USA) 84 90 75
Withdrew: Vitor Lopes (Portugal) 72 84 WD, Johannes Lube (Germany) 79 89 WD, Mark Shanahan (Castlemartyr) 79 WD
No Returns: John McGinn (Laytown and Bettystown) 82 78
NR, John Morris (Rosslare) 76 NR
Labels: Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, May 09, 2015
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