By Brian Keogh

Tipperary amateur Pat Murray cruised into the last two rounds of the Irish Open - and helped his mates beat the bookies.

The general manager at Limerick Golf Club finished on four over after racking up six birdies in a level par 72.

Murray grinned: "I made a few quid for the lads in Tipperary who bet that I would make the cut. I have to collect on that or they have to buy me a few pints at least.

"The lads were saying I was hitting too many balls last Monday but I want to take all the opportunities I can to hit balls.

"The wind didn't bother me because it has blown a gale in everything I have played this year and that was the perfect grounding for something like this."

Murray, 35, is the first Irish amateur to make the cut since Mark Murphy finishes 77th at Ballybunion in 2000.

He added: "I've achieved what I wanted to achieve out here and anything else is a bonus."

The best Irish Open finish by an amateur came in 1988 when Kerryman Eoghan O’Connell tied for 15th behind Ian Woosnam at Portmarnock.