Cutler on course for rare West-Close double
Paul Cutler is out on his own at Shannon. But there’s always someone lurking ….Portstewart’s Paul Cutler will be bidding to follow in the footsteps on current world number six Rory McIlroy when he takes a one-stroke lead into the final two rounds of the Golfsure Irish Amateur Close Championship at Shannon today.
The 22-year old Walker Cup hopeful carded a one over par 73 on another blustery day to top the leaderboard on two under par and keep alive his hopes of completing a rare West of Ireland - Irish Close double last achieved by McIlroy at the European Club in 2006.
The Ulsterman has the slimmest of leads over 30-year old Darren Crowe from Dunmurry, a former winner of the South and North of Ireland titles, who hit a two over 74.
But with 36 holes to go today under the experimental strokeplay format in use this year and next, the championship is still very much wide open with 17 players within six shots of Cutler’s lead.
Strokeplay specialist and former East of Ireland champion Eoin Arthurs is just two shots off the pace after a pair of 72s, tied for third with the Munster Strokeplay champion Niall Gorey of Muskerry, a beaten semi-finalist in this season’s ‘West’.
Two experienced campaigners are also lurking ominously just four strokes behind in the form of Galway’s Eddie McCormack and former international John “Junior” Morris of Rosslare, after they posted a pair of level par 72s.
The cut for the top 39 fell at nine over par 153 with Rathmore’s Alan Dunbar, another player fancied for Walker Cup honours in September, making it with a stroke to spare as he followed a disappointing 78 on Friday with a 74.
While only five players broke par on the opening day, there were just four sub-par scores in round two with the best of the bunch a two under par 70 by Stephen Walsh from Baltinglass and UCD, which moved him into a tie for 16th on five over.
Irish senior squad member Aaron Kearney shot a 71 to move up to tied sixth on three over with Harry Diamon, Stephen Crowe, Cian Daly, Rory Leonard and Gary McDermott.
Loughrea’s Stephen Cannon (148) and Cork’s Tom Cleary (150) also shot 71s to make the cut with ease after disappointing opening rounds.
Golfsure Irish Close Championship, Shannon GC (Par 72)
After 36 holes
142 P Cutler (Portstewart) 69 73
143 D Crowe (Dunmurry) 69 74
144 E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 72 72, N Gorey (Muskerry) 70 74
146 E McCormack (Galway) 74 72, J Morris (Rosslare) 74 72
147 A Kearney (Castlerock) 76 71, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 74 73, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 74 73, C Daly (Castletroy) 74 73, R Leonard (Banbridge) 74 73, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 73 74
148 S Cannon (Loughrea) 77 71, N Grant (Knock) 75 73, W Telford (Rathmore) 73 75
149 S Walsh (Baltinglass) 79 70, B Anderson (Co. Sligo) 76 73, P Murray (Limerick) 75 74, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 74 75, S Moloney (Castletroy) 74 75
150 T Cleary (Cork) 79 71, S McGlynn (South County) 76 74, D Holland (Castle) 76 74, M McKnight (Lisburn) 75 75, D Murphy (Portarlington) 73 77, E Long (Monkstown) 73 77, R Whitson (Mourne) 71 79
151 G Vaughan (Limerick) 77 74, D Barry (Mahon) 76 75, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 76 75, P Lyons (Cork) 75 76, M Sinclair (Knock) 74 77
152 A Dunbar (Rathmore) 78 74, D Coyle (Co. Louth) 77 75, J Fox (Portmarnock) 76 76, A Kelly (Charleville) 76 76, T Cleary (Dromoland) 71 81
153 P Reavey (Warrenpoint) 80 73, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 80 73
Non-Qualifiers:
153 D Ruddy (Dundrum) 79 74, C Boggan (Co. Meath) 77 76, M Collins (Mahon) 77 76, S Bryan (Delgany) 77 76, C Molloy (Ardee) 75 78, D Downie (Sutton) 75 78
154 P Small (Bangor) 80 74, S Morrison (City of Derry) 80 74, P Sheehan (Ballybunion) 77 77, E Stack (Ballybunion) 77 77, D Murray (Skerries) 77 77, T Neenan (Lahinch) 76 78, J Monaghan (The Royal Dublin) 75 79, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 75 79, E Smith (Ardee) 75 79, J Hopkins (Skerries) 74 80
155 G Kelly (Co. Louth) 80 75, J Lyons (Birr) 78 77, S Ward (Co. Louth) 78 77, C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 78 77, S Barry (Laytown/Bettystown) 78 77, D Morgan (Mullingar) 77 78, D Hallissey (Muskerry) 77 78, M Shanahan (West Waterford) 77 78, J Greene (Carlow) 76 79, J Dillon (Headfort) 76 79, M Sheridan (Old Conna) 75 80, E Hickey (Shannon) 75 80, R Walsh (Kilkenny) 75 80
156 J Kavanagh (Castletroy) 82 74, G McGrane (The Royal Dublin) 81 75, B Fennelly (The Royal Dublin) 80 76, D Carroll (Grange) 79 77, R McNamara (Headfort) 79 77, M Mullen (Wexford) 79 77, J Hanby (Castle) 78 78, A Doran (Ardee) 78 78
157 S Hogan (Nenagh) 81 76, K Crowley (Lee Valley) 80 77, S Heavey (Co. Sligo) 79 78, P O’Kane (Moyola Park) 78 79, S O’Hara (Co. Sligo) 78 79, C Moulds (Lisburn) 77 80, D Brennan (Shannon) 76 81, C Fairweather (Knock) 76 81
158 P O’Neill (Shannon) 83 75, C O’Sullivan (Fota Island) 81 77, C Glynn (Carton House) 79 79, B Fitzpatrick (Headfort) 78 80
159 D Walshe (Castletroy) 84 75, I Brennan (Greenore) 82 77, T O’Leary (Wexford) 82 77, F Harrold (Castletroy) 81 78, R Cummins (Limerick) 81 78, N Jenkins (Coventry) 80 79, D O’Neill (Carton House) 78 81, S Loftus (Lahinch) 78 81, Q Carew (Edenderry) 75 84, K Shannon (Greenore) 74 85
160 C Martin (Kilkenny) 83 77, C O’Malley (Westport) 82 78, D Dunne (Co. Sligo) 81 79, L Doran (Ardee) 81 79, S Barry (Lee Valley) 79 81, M Clifford (Lucan) 78 82, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 77 83, R Symington (Lisburn) 74 86
161 B Campbell (Malone) 82 79, R O’Sullivan (Cobh) 80 81, B Casey (Headfort) 78 83, S Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 78 83, D O’Driscoll (Ballybunion) 77 84
162 M Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 83 79, D O’Donovan (Muskerry) 77 85, A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 76 86
163 D Coyne (Tuam) 83 80, A McAuley (Ardee) 82 81
164 P O’Leary (Lucan) 82 82, P Sheehy (Newcastle West) 81 83, C McGrogan (Newbridge) 81 83, R Weldon (Killeen Castle) 80 84, J Waldron (Muskerry) 78 86, J Crangle (Fortwilliam) 78 86
165 B Keating (Clonmel) 82 83, A Hogan (Newlands) 81 84, N Kearns (Omagh) 81 84, L Halpin (Shannon) 81 84
166 N Molloy (East Clare) 84 82, D Loftus (Swinford) 81 85, J O’Neill (Lee Valley) 79 87
167 G Dunne (Seapoint) 83 84
168 D McInerney (Lahinch) 82 86
169 D Burke (Nenagh) 82 87
171 B Daly (Edmondstown) 86 85
174 C McEvoy (Lucan) 86 88
176 N O’Hare (Castleknock) 93 83, R Grehan (Curragh) 89 87
NR S McConnell (Ballyclare) 82 NR, S O’Connor (Skerries) 77 NR, P McElhinney (Lahinch) 88 NR
WD A Harrington (Cork) 86 WD, R O’Donovan (Lucan) 82 WD
Sunday tee-times (3rd rd/4th rd)
(7:30/12:30) C Campbell (Warrenpoint), P Reavey (Warrenpoint), T Cleary (Dromoland);
(7:39/12:39) A Kelly (Charleville), J Fox (Portmarnock), D Coyle (Co. Louth);
(7:48/12:48) A Dunbar (Rathmore), M Sinclair (Knock), P Lyons (Cork);
(7:57/12:57) J Hume (Rathsallagh), D Barry (Mahon), G Vaughan (Limerick);
(8:06/13:06) R Whitson (Mourne), E Long (Monkstown), D Murphy (Portarlington);
(8:15/13:15) M McKnight (Lisburn), D Holland (Castle), S McGlynn (Sth County);
(8:24/13:24) T Cleary (Cork), S Moloney (Castletroy), M Durcan (Co. Sligo);
(8:33/13:33) P Murray (Limerick), B Anderson (Co. Sligo), S Walsh (Baltinglass);
(8:42/13:42) W Telford (Rathmore), N Grant (Knock), S Cannon (Loughrea);
(8:51/13:51) G McDermott (Co. Sligo), R Leonard (Banbridge), C Daly (Castletroy);
(9:00/14:00) S Crowe (Dunmurry), E McCormack (Galway), N Gorey (Muskerry);
(9:18/14:18) E Arthurs (Forrest Little), D Crowe (Dunmurry), P Cutler (Portstewart).