Westermann takes clubhouse lead at Royal Dublin
Germany's Philipp Westermann fired the first sub par round of the week to race into the clubhouse lead in the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.
Philipp Westermann relaxes in the Royal Dublin clubhouse after his 70.The 20 year old international had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in a two under par 70 to head the field on four-over par 148.
A native of Hamburg, Westermann leads by three strokes from the Island's Robert McCarthy, who carded a two over par 74, with Forrest Little's Eoin Arthurs seven off the pace after a 74.
A 20 mph southwest wind made for difficult scoring but the course was not as punishing as it had been in the first round, when England's Farren Keenan hit a 74 to lead the field by a stroke from Royal Dublin's Niall Kearney, Portmarnock's James Fox and Finland's Miro Veijalainen.
Several tees on the back nine have been moved up but Veijalainen could only managed a second round 83 for a 14 over par total of 158.
The leading 39 players will make the cut for the final 36 holes on Sunday.
Irish Amateur Open, Royal Dublin (Par 72)
Clubhouse leaders after 36 holes
148: P Westermann (Germany) 78 70
151: R McCarthy (The Island) 77 74
155: E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 81 74
157: R Prophet (England) 79 78, B Walton (The Island) 79 78
158: M Veijalainen (Finland) 75 83
159: D Morgan (Mullingar) 82 77, C Doran (Banbridge) 81 78, M Rivard (Canada) 81 78, G Paterson (Scotland) 80 79, R Laino (England) 78 81
160: C Drumm (Rosslare) 82 78, M Bookless (Scotland) 79 81, R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown) 79 81
161: G McGee (Malone) 82 79, L Brady (The Royal Dublin) 79 82
162: C O'Malley (Westport) 83 79
164: J Jóia (Portugal) 87 77, M Downes (England) 85 79, B Reiter (Austria) 82 82
165: G Lawlor (Newbridge) 82 83, M Cunningham (Scotland) 79 86
166: R Cronheim (USA) 88 78, C Wilson (USA) 82 84
167: O Mikkola (Finland) 83 84, M Hammond (Moyola Park) 82 85
168: A Dooley (Glasson) 88 80
169: K Nicol (Scotland) 89 80, C Thomson (Scotland) 83 86, R Bridges (Stackstown) 83 86
170: J Hendrick (Scotland) 88 82, A Kirstein (Germany) 83 87
173: G O'Connor-Brooks (USA) 86 87
174: M Reardon (USA) 86 88
DQ: E Kennedy (England) 85 DQ