Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy fired a superb second round of 71 to capture the Irish Boys U15 Stroke Play Championship at Massereene Golf Club.

The local hero started slowly covering the opening nine holes in two over par to lie on four over for the Championship while overnight leader John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead) had posted a second round of 77 for a 36 hole total of 149 – five over par.

McElroy, who is a member of the GUI’s National U16 Coaching Panel, recorded back to back birdies on the tenth and eleventh holes to jump three clear and played impressively over the remaining seven with a birdie-par-birdie helping to secure the Championship in which he finished tenth last year at Westport Golf Club.

England’s Will Chambers finished in second place three strokes behind McElroy while Galbraith held on for third place.

After 36 Holes:
145: D McElroy (Ballymena) 74 71
148: W Chambers (England) 75 73
149: J Galbraith (Whitehead) 72 77
150: A Gleeson (Milltown) 78 72, E Harris (Douglas) 77 73, J Robinson (Ballymena) 76 74, C Glynn (Lucan) 74 76
151: K Egan (Curragh) 77 74, N Ward (England) 76 75
153: W Russell (Clandeboye) 79 74, G Hurley (West Waterford) 76 77, K Dowling (Mallow) 76 77, A Connolly (Massereene) 75 78
154: R McKinstry (Cairndhu) 81 73, K Lynch (Skibbereen) 79 75, S Williams (Castle Royle) 78 76, L Harnett (Milltown) 77 77, E Lisibach (Castlebar) 76 78
155: B Banerji (Spa) 84 71, J Roche (Bray) 82 73, S Kinch (Hollystown) 80 75, D Higgins (Strandhill) 79 76, D Phillimore (England) 78 77
156: C O'Sullivan (Fota Island) 80 76, J Richardson (Royal Portrush) 80 76
157: G Reilly (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 81 76, E Cradock (Gort) 81 76, J Duncan (Kilkenny) 80 77, D Reidy (Co Sligo) 78 79
158: A Broderick (Kinsale) 82 76, J Doyle (Forrest Little) 80 78, L Warde (Portarlington) 77 81, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 77 81, T Jordan (Dungannon) 77 81, K Cummings (Elm Park) 76 82, J Quigg (Moyola Park) 76 82, A Lowry (Esker Hills) 74 84
159: R McAuley (Galgorm Castle) 81 78, M Abram (Cairndhu) 81 78, D Byrne (Greystones) 81 78, M Kane (Whitehead) 79 80, O O'Brien (Limerick) 78 81
160: I Bentham (South County) 79 81, J Patmore (Rockmount) 78 82
161: J Hewitt (Co Armagh) 84 77, M Flynn (Castlebar) 82 79, R Dutton (Tandragee) 82 79, D McAleese (Royal Portrush) 82 79, G MacNamara (Rosslare/Woodbrook) 82 79, C Martin (Wexford) 81 80
162: T Harry (South Wales) 84 78, D Brady (Co Sligo) 81 81, S O'Connor (Woodlands) 80 82, R Young (Rosslare) 80 82, S Williams (Castle) 78 84, W Bamber (Royal Portrush) 78 84, B Ferguson (Malone) 77 85
163: S Gracey (Dunmurry) 79 84
164: R Pierse (Grange) 85 79, H Bradshaw (Donabate) 83 81, C McCarron (Fintona) 83 81, D Manifold (Rathsallagh) 82 82, D Keane (Greystones) 82 82, M McClean (Balmoral) 81 83, M Kerrigan (Old Conna) 77 87
165: M Keely (Styal) 88 77, S Flanagan (Co Sligo) 81 84
166: M Matthews (Co Louth) 84 82, T Finnegan (Co Sligo) 83 83, N McKinstry (Cairndhu) 82 84
167: R McCloskey (Clandeboye) 86 81, D Brady (Newbridge) 80 87
168: M McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 87 81
169: Z O'Mahony (Corrstown) 88 81, D Browne (Greystones) 88 81, S Bleakley (Balmoral) 83 86
170: G Travers (Bundoran) 80 90, H Coyne (Lucan) 80 90
171: K O'Connor (Hillingdon) 90 81
172: C Linton (Dunblane New) 83 89
175: O McMahon (Balmoral) 80 95
176: J Russell (Clandeboye) 98 78
178: E Farrell (Ardee) 91 87
179: A Joyce (Greystones) 90 89
181: C Young (Charlesland) 89 92
NR: N Byrne (Greystones) 79 NR
DQ: G Moynihan (Donabate) DQ, G Reynolds (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 81 DQ