Kilpatrick takes massive lead

By Brian Keogh

In-form Richard Kilpatrick fired a sensational six-under par 66 to scorch into an impressive six-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Co Louth.

The 25-year-old from Banbridge, who has spent the winter honing his game alongside some of the game’s leading professionals at Lake Nona in Florida, had seven birdies and just one bogey on his card to lead on eight under par 136.

Runner-up in the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin and tied for sixth in the prestigious Brabazon Trophy in recent weeks, the Ulsterman survived a day of driving rain and stiff breezes at the classic Baltray links to take a step closer to his first major amateur prize.

Playing partner and Walker Cup hopeful Simon Ward, who trails Kilpatrick by eight shots after a 74, described the round as one of the best he has ever seen.

And given the quality of the Ulsteman’s ball-striking, second placed Shane Lowry (71) and Pat Murray (73) will have to produce some quality golf today to lift the famous old trophy.

"It is about doing nothing stupid and just plodding along,” said Kilpatrick modestly. “If you hole a few putts you can have score out there and I holed a few early.”

Bitterly disappointed not to win at Royal Dublin a month ago, Kilpatrick is determined to get over the winning line this time.

He said: “I am ready to win now, ready to step up because I am sick of finishing second and I’ve been twice third here.

“I drove the ball well and I hit a lot of good irons and left myself some good yardages. Hopefully I can play well again tomorrow."

Starting on the back nine, Kilpatrick birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th and then rolled in a 25 footer at the 17th to get to four under par.

His only bogey came at the par five second, where he drove into the rough and got over ambitious with his recovery. But he bounced back quickly with another birdie hat-trick from the fourth.

The cut for the top 50 came at six over par 152 with Niall Gorey and John McGinn just failing to make it through on that mark after respective rounds of 76 and 77.

East of Ireland Amateur Open, Co Louth (Par 72)

Qualifiers

136 R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70 66

142 S Lowry (Esker Hills) 71 71, P Murray (Limerick) 69 73

143 N Grant (Knock) 71 72

144 D Lernihan (Castle) 73 71, S Ward (Co Louth) 70 74

145 G Carew (Edenderry) 73 72, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 72 73

146 A Pitcher (The Island) 74 72, N O'Connor (Elm Park) 72 74

147 S Grant (Birr) 76 71, G Reid (Spa) 75 72, D Sutton (Lockerbie) 74 73, J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 73 74, A McCormick (Scrabo) 71 76, E McCormack (Galway) 71 76

148 F Rafferty (Dungannon) 80 68, G Bohill (Co Louth) 76 72, A Dunbar (Rathmore) 76 72, N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 74 74, D Finn (Mallow) 69 79

149 C Doran (Banbridge) 76 73, R Boal (Scrabo) 76 73, M Brett (Portmarnock) 75 74, C Curley (Newlands) 75 74, C Martin (Kilkenny) 73 76, A Glynn (Porters Park) 73 76

150 A Hogan (Newlands/UCD) 79 71, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 78 72, M Lavelle (K Club) 77 73, M Sinclair (The Knock) 76 74, A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 76 74, A McCloy (Ballymena) 75 75, E O'Sullivan (The Island) 75 75, G Lawlor (Citywest) 74 76

151 H Diamond (Holywood) 79 72, D O'Brien (L & B) 78 73, T Cleary (Cork) 77 74, G McGrane (Royal Dublin) 77 74, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 77 74, D Coyne (Tuam) 75 76, D Rawluk (The Island) 75 76, D McInerney (Lahinch) 75 76, D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 74 77

152 S Loftus (Ennis) 80 72, E McAnoy (Knock) 79 73, D Morgan (Mullingar) 78 74, S Shaw (Lisburn) 77 75, D Joyce (Curragh) 77 75, R Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown) 76 76

Non-Qualifiers

152 N Gorey (Lee Valley) 76 76, J McGinn (L & B) 75 77

153 J Moore (Laytown & Bettystown) 80 73, G O'Connor (Malahide) 79 74, D Lally (Tuam) 79 74, D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 79 74, E Kennedy (Strabane) 78 75, G Kelly (Co Louth) 78 75, R McNamara (Headfort) 77 76, G O'Flaherty (Cork) 77 76, R McCarthy (The Island) 76 77, M Shanahan (West Waterford) 76 77, N O'Briain (Royal Dublin) 76 77, R Forsythe (Ballyclare) 76 77, B Walton (Island/UCD) 75 78, G Hamill (Ardglass) 74 79

154 K McCarthy (Kinsale) 80 74, N Boyd (Donaghadee) 80 74, D Lewis (Woodbrook) 79 75, H MacKeown (Portmarnock) 79 75, C O'Malley (Westport) 77 77, P O'Hanlon (Curragh) 77 77, M McGinley (Grange) 77 77, T O'Neill (Rathsallagh) 77 77, C Drumm (Rosslare) 76 78

155 C Hughes (Royal Portrush) 78 77, D McNeill (Ballybofey) 78 77, K Bornemann (Douglas) 77 78, J Carvill (Warrenpoint) 77 78, J Lyons (Galway) 76 79, D Beattie (Whitehead) 76 79

156 J Foran (Thurles) 82 74, R Behan (St Anne's) 81 75, R Dunne (Charlesland/UCD) 79 77, D Vaughan (Ardglass) 78 78, J Waldron (Muskerry) 75 81, P McGrath (Dromoland) 75 81, R Branigan (Co Louth) 75 81

157 M Buggy (Castlecomer) 81 76, M Rowe (Glasson) 78 79, M O'Rourke (Royal Tara) 78 79, T Kelly (Balcarrick) 77 80, C McLaughlin (Royal Jersey) 77 80, J Toner (Woodbrook) 75 82

158 N Beirth (Co Louth) 85 73, A Daly (Delgany) 82 76, J Monaghan (The Island) 81 77, J Fox (Portmarnock) 81 77, B O'Connor (Hermitage) 80 78, P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 80 78, D Coyle (Co Louth) 80 78, P O'Kane (Moyola Park) 79 79, D Leathem (Lisburn) 79 79, S O'Flaherty (Hermitage) 78 80, M Windebank (Royal Portrush) 78 80, J Mulready (Castle) 78 80, T O'Mahony (Mallow) 77 81, R Leonard (Banbridge) 77 81, N Goulding (Portmarnock) 77 81

159 K Crowley (Lee Valley) 82 77, R Weldon (Luttrellstown) 82 77, A Dowling (Hermitage) 82 77, C Finn (Douglas) 81 78, W McCully (Donaghadee) 81 78, A Dooley (NUIG/Glasson) 80 79, A McKinley (Shandon Park) 79 80

160 B Campbell (Malone) 84 76, V Smyth (Co Louth) 82 78, J Somers (Laytown & Bettystown) 81 79, D Ruddy (Thurles) 80 80, S Smyth (County Louth) 79 81, D Crowe (Dunmurry) 79 81, P Connolly (Clontarf) 79 81, G Dunne (Seapoint) 77 83

161 T O'Flynn (Fota Island) 82 79, K Canty (Douglas) 82 79, B Hobson (Shandon Park) 77 84

162 T Conran (Portadown) 82 80

164 R O'Connor (The Island) 83 81, A McAuley (Ardee) 82 82, R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown) 82 82, K Stack (Dungarvan/UCC) 81 83, K Metcalfe (Mullingar) 80 84

165 A Boyle (Hollystown) 86 79, G Donaghy (Island Country Club, Fla.) 85 80, M Hammond (Moyola Park) 83 82, D Cantrell (Woodbrook) 83 82

166 G Dillon (Heath) 85 81, B Ronan (Co Louth) 84 82, S Dwyer (Newlands) 80 86

167 S Bell (Denver Country Club) 86 81

168 R Symington (Lisburn) 89 79

170 C Barron (Rosslare) 88 82

172 L Butler (West Waterford) 87 85

175 R Branigan (Royal Tara) 86 89

180 J Campbell (County Louth) 91 89

NR D Callaghan (Balbriggan) NR, D Downie (Sutton) 78 NR, G Nugent (Kilkenny) 76 NR, G Mallon (North-West) 80 NR, J Hughes (Douglas) 82 NR, D McNamara (Connemara) 78

RT M Poucher (Limerick) 82 RT

WD M Reck (Lucan) 86 WD