IRISH EYES ARE SMILING AFTER TWO ROUNDS

OF R AND A SCHOLARS' TOURNAMENT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Irishman John Murphy (Maynooth University) leads the men's section of the R and A Foundation Scholars Tournament at St Andrews after 36 holes over the Eden Course today while Irish women's title-holder  Chloe Ryan (University College, Dublin) is in the pole position once again with one round to go.

Murphy shot rounds of 68 and 64 for an impressive 12-under-par tally of 132, one ahead of Englishman Laird Shepherd (Stirling) who won the Scottish students' title at Lossiemouth last week.

Murphy birdied the fourth, seventh, ninth, 12th, 15th, 16th and 18th in halves of 33-32. His solitary bogey came at the sixth.

Shepherd produced a sparkling 64 in the first round but a 69 later in the day for 133 gave Murphy the Edge with the Old Course round still to come in the race to the Palmer Cup - the winner gains a place in the Europe team to play the United States in the transatlantic students' match.

The bonus for the winner of the women's title is a place in a Ladies European Tour event in 2017. Chloe Ryan won it 12 months ago and she has struck form at just the right time to make it two in a row. She scored a 71 and a 68 for 139 - seven under par for the women's Eden Course.

Chloe put herself in the driving seat with an birdie at the first hole and an eagle 3 at the second on her way to that 68.

Scottish women's students champion Gemma Batty (Stirling) had an uncharacteristic second-round 76 after an opening 69. She has six strokes to make up.

Emily Toy (Exeter), who had nine birdies in a first-round 68, following that with a 72 for second place overnight on 140.

Stirling's Sinead Sexton and Chloe Goadby are sharing third place on 143.

Chloe had seven birdies in a second-round 68.

R AND A FOUNDATION SCHOLARS' TOURNAMENT

Rounds over Eden Course (2) and Old Course (1)

MEN

SECOND ROUND TOTALS

Eden Course par 144 (2x72)

132 J Murphy (Maynooth) 68 74.

133 L Shepherd (Stirling) 64 69.

135 Stuart Grehan (Maynooth) 67 68, J Sundborg (Stirling) 68 67.

137 R Dawson (Maynooth) 67 70.

138 C Low (Abertay) 73 65, C Rudhag (Durham) 67 71, K LeBlanc (Stirling) 69 71.

139 R Dutton (Ulster) 69 70, J Yates (UCD) 64 75.

140 J Rooney (Edge Hill) 73 67, M Myers (St Andrews) 72 68, R Samson (Duchy) 72 68.

141 G Burns (St Andrews) 71 70, C Woodroofe (Maynooth) 69 72, G Leon (St Andrews) 68 73,  J Du Feu (South Wales) 72 69.

142 J Glenn (Durham) 71 71, W Russell (Ulster) 70 72, M Hayes Northumbria) 71 71, E Smith (Maynooth) 67 75.

143 J Wilson (Stirling) 72 71, C Maclean (Stirling) 71 72

144 S Molumby (Durham) 74 70, L Gorman (Birmingham) 72 72. K McCarron (Maynooth) 69 75, A Wilson (Northumbria) 71 73.

145 D C McCarthy (St Andrews) 71 74, P Kerr (St Andrews) 75 70, T Collins (UCD) 74 71, J Hood (Maynooth) 74 71, J Blyth (Exeter) 71 75, R Mullarney (Maynooth) 72 73.

146 J Voss (Durham) 75 71, S Flanagan (Maynooth) 75 71, J Blyth (Exeter) 71 75.

148 E Griffin (Maynooth) 73 75, G Fitzmaurice (UCD) 72 76, L Grehan (Maynooth) 76 72.

149 J McDonnell (Maynooth) 72 77, C Butler (Maynooth) 77 72.

150 C Nolan (NUI Galway) 73 77.

152 C Johnston (Newcastle) 78 74.

153 J Sutherland (Queens) 72 81.
158 J Harling (UHI) 77 81

WOMEN

SECOND ROUND SCORES

Eden Course. Par 146 (2x73)

139 Chloe Ryan (UCD) 71 68

140 Emily Toy (Exeter) 68 72.

143 Sinead Sexton (Stirling) 72 71, Chloe Goadby (Stirling) 75 68.

144 Molly Dowling (Maynooth) 72 72
145 M Lockett (Birmingham) 74 71, G Batty (Stirling) 69 76.

146 T Mactaggart (Stirling) 74 72.

148 M Danielsson (St Andrews) 75 73.

149 E Hale (Glasgow Caledonian) 78 71

156 G Galatolo (Liverpool) 78 78.

158 S Burke (Maynooth) 76 82

159 Mary Doyle (Maynooth) 82 77

162 Hannah Holden (Sheffield) 81 81.