Walker Cup squad struggles at Royal Dublin

The 14 members of the Great Britain & Ireland squad in action at the Irish Amateur Open have found the Bull Island links to be a major challenge.

Four of the 14 failed to make the 14-over par cut for the final 36 holes with plus six handicapper Keir McNicoll, the low man in the field, missing out by a shot after a second round 80.

The 14 averaged 79.21 in the wind-clashed first round but with more benign conditions on Saturday the average came down to 75.14.

Gavin Dear leads the event on two-over par with Wallace Booth and Niall Kearney tied for fourth place on five-over.

Walker Cup squad at Royal Dublin

146 Gavin Dear (Murrayshall, Scot) 77 69

149 Wallace Booth (Comrie, Scot) 76 73; Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) 75 74

152 Paul Cutler (Portstewart) 78 74

153 Sam Hutsby (Liphook, Eng) 78 75; Dara Lernihan (Castle) 78 75; Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes, Eng) 78 75

154 Luke Goddard (Hendon) 81 73

155 Shane Lowry (Esker Hills) 79 76 

157 Alan Dunbar (Rathmore) 80 77

Missed the cut

159 Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) 85 74; Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie, Scot) 79 80

160 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park, Scot) 84 76

162 Steven McEwan (Caprington, Scot) 81 81

14 Walker Cup players averaged 79.21 in rd 1

14 Walker Cup players averaged 75.14 in rd 2