Chris Selfridge extended his overnight lead to three strokes in the Irish Amateur Close at Royal Portrush. Picture by Pat CashmanOvernight leader Chris Selfridge insists he will not be putting any pressure on himself despite adding a 72 to his opening 66 to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday’s final 36 holes at the Golfsure sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship at a sun-splashed Royal Portrush.

The 20-year old from Moyola Park carded an eagle, two birdies and two bogeys in a steady round in 20 mph east winds to top the leaderboard on six under par.

[Check out Pat Cashman’s round two picture gallery and scenic shots of Portrush and Portballintrae}

Ballymena international Dermot McElroy (19) shot a 71 and Ardee’s Eugene Smith a 73 to get to three under and join Selfridge in the final three-ball with Mourne’s Reeve Whitson (70), West Waterford’s Gary Hurley (71) and Muskerry’s Niall Gorey (71) just four off the lead on two under.

“It’s a nice lead but I am not putting any pressure on myself,” said the University of Toledo scholarship man Selfridge, who was disappointed to bogey the 18th. “It’s just great to get to play that golf course another two times.”

Pre-championship favourite and Walker Cup star Alan Dunbar of Rathmore is five shots off the lead on one-under alongside Athlone’s Kelan McDonagh after a disappointing 75.

Dunbar got off to a poor start and was five over after seven holes before birdies at the eighth and ninth got him back on track.

He just failed to get up and down for another birdie from short right at the 10th but played the remaining holes to level par to give himself a chance of matching 2000 champion and fellow clubman Graeme McDowell by winning the Close in his home town.

“I hit the ball really poorly,” said Dunbar, who has been suffering from ‘flu. “I don’t know if that’s the effects of tiredness or not but I’ve hit a lot of poor shots.

“I am happy enough to be just a few back after two rounds. I’d have taken it on Thursday. It’s just a question of getting through the tough start here and then trying to make a score.”

Gorey was five under par for his round after 11 holes after a birdie-eagle-birdie run from the eighth. But he bogeyed the 12th from the swale and then dropped back to back shots at the 16th and 17th to card a second successive 71.

“I’d have taken 71 on the first tee but it’s disappointing to get so far under par and then give it away,” Gorey said.

Greenore’s Keith Shannon shot a best of the day 66 as 53 players made the cut on seven over 151.

It could have been exactly 45 players on 150 but Naas’ Ross Kenny lipped out from around 16 feet at the last and carded a 74 to reprieve all the 151’s

Irish Amateur Close Championship (sponsored by Golfsure), Royal Portrush (Dunluce Links) Par 72

Final day tee-times

06:30 & 11:30: James Fox (Portmarnock), Joe Lyons (Birr)

06:40 & 11:40: Alan Thomas (Tramore), Stephen Watts (Cairndhu), Davey Barry (Mahon)

06:50 & 11:50: John Finnegan (Royal Portrush), Rory Leonard (Banbridge), Shaun O’Connor (Skerries)

07:00 & 12:00: Ross Kenny (Naas), Robert Cannon (Balbriggan), Nicky Grant (Knock)

07:10 & 12:10: John Greene (Carlow), Michael Durcan (Co. Sligo), Brendan Walton (The Island)

07:20 & 12:20: Ciaran McKenna (Mallow), Shaun Doherty (Ballyliffin), Ross McConnell (Belvoir Park)

07:30 & 12:30: Colin Fairweather (Knock), Gerard Dunne (Seapoint), Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu)

07:40 & 12:40: Shane McGlynn (Carton House), Alex McCloy (Ballymena), Eddie McCormack (Galway)

07:50 & 12:50: Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Simon McConnell (Ballyclare), Conor McGrogan (Newbridge)

08:00 & 13:00: Pio O’Leary (Lucan), Harry Diamond (Belvoir Park), Chris Johnston (England)

08:10 & 13:10: Rory McNamara (Headfort), Matthew McAlpin (Royal Portrush), Sean Ryan (The Royal Dublin)

08:20 & 13:20: Aaron Kearney (Castlerock), Aaron Grant (Dundalk), Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock)

08:30 & 13:30: Ian Brennan (Greenore), Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little)

08:40 & 13:40: Richard O’Donovan (Lucan), Ryan Symington (Lisburn), Jack Hume (Rathsallagh)

08:50 & 13:50: Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint), Keith Shannon (Greenore), Andrew Hogan (Newlands)

09:00 & 14:00: Patrick Small (Bangor), Alan Dunbar (Rathmore), Kelan McDonagh (Athlone)

09:10 & 14:10: Niall Gorey (Muskerry), Gary Hurley (West Waterford), Reeve Whitson (Mourne)

09:20 & 14:20: Eugene Smith (Ardee), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park)

After 36 holes (Rd 2 CSS 75)

Qualifiers

138 C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 66 72

141 D McElroy (Ballymena) 70 71, E Smith (Ardee) 68 73

142 R Whitson (Mourne) 72 70, G Hurley (West Waterford) 71 71, N Gorey (Muskerry) 71 71

143 K McDonagh (Athlone) 73 70, A Dunbar (Rathmore) 68 75

144 P Small (Bangor) 72 72, A Hogan (Newlands) 68 76

145 K Shannon (Greenore) 79 66, S Coulter (Warrenpoint) 75 70, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 73 72, R Symington (Lisburn) 72 73, R O’Donovan (Lucan) 72 73, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 71 74

146 A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 76 70, I Brennan (Greenore) 75 71

147 G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 73 74

148 A Grant (Dundalk) 76 72, A Kearney (Castlerock) 75 73, S Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 75 73, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 74 74, R McNamara (Headfort) 74 74, C Johnston (England) 73 75, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 73 75, P O’Leary (Lucan) 72 76, C McGrogan (Newbridge) 72 76, S McConnell (Ballyclare) 70 78

149 T McLarnon (Massereene) 75 74, E McCormack (Galway) 74 75, A McCloy (Ballymena) 74 75, S McGlynn (Carton House) 70 79

150 R McKinstry (Cairndhu) 83 67, G Dunne (Seapoint) 78 72, C Fairweather (Knock) 75 75, R McConnell (Belvoir Park) 75 75, S Doherty (Ballyliffin) 74 76, C McKenna (Mallow) 74 76, B Walton (The Island) 74 76, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 73 77, J Greene (Carlow) 72 78, N Grant (Knock) 72 78, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 70 80

151 R Kenny (Naas) 77 74, S O’Connor (Skerries) 77 74, R Leonard (Banbridge) 76 75, J Finnegan (Royal Portrush) 76 75, D Barry (Mahon) 75 76, S Watts (Cairndhu) 75 76, A Thomas (Tramore) 73 78, J Lyons (Birr) 73 78, J Fox (Portmarnock) 69 82

Non-qualifiers

152 S Moran (Carton House) 80 72, C Carroll (Shandon Park) 75 77, S Walsh (Baltinglass) 74 78

153 J Yates (Naas) 80 73, B Best (Royal Portrush) 80 73, B Casey (Headfort) 79 74, C Kenny (Curragh) 78 75, M Brett (Portmarnock) 78 75, S O’Hara (Co. Sligo) 78 75, F O’Sullivan (Tralee) 77 76, Q Carew (Edenderry) 77 76, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 76 77, G Mungovan (Headfort) 75 78

154 J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) 77 77, W Hanna (Kilkeel) 77 77, S Ward (Co. Louth) 75 79, M Sinclair (Knock) 75 79, D Loftus (Castlebar) 75 79, R Dawson (Faithlegg) 74 80, C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 80

155 D Downie (Sutton) 79 76, J Pierse (Grange) 79 76, A Purdy (Ballyclare) 78 77, R Weldon (Killeen Castle) 78 77, P O’Kane (Moyola Park) 77 78, L Mulligan (Stackstown) 72 83

156 I Lynch (Rosslare) 81 75, C Doran (Banbridge) 80 76, P McBride (The Island) 80 76, J Turner (Royal Portrush) 78 78, B Stevens (Spa) 77 79, D Coghlan (The Royal Dublin) 75 81, I Moore (Dunmurry) 74 82

157 C Sharvin (Ardglass) 82 75, D Coyne (Tuam) 80 77, M Mullen (Wexford) 80 77, P McKeever (Castle) 76 81, G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 75 82, A Burns (Galgorm Castle) 75 82

158 D O’Sullivan (Strandhill) 78 80, J Richardson (Royal Portrush) 77 81, G Walsh (Mount Juliet) 77 81, S Brady (Co. Sligo) 77 81, J Whelan (Newlands) 75 83, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 75 83, C Molloy (Ardee) 72 86

159 M Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 85 74, D Holland (Castle) 82 77, E Cradock (Gort) 81 78, J Galbraith (Whitehead) 80 79, S Miskelly (Knock) 80 79, B Anderson (Co. Sligo) 75 84

160 C Glynn (Carton House) 82 78, S Healy (Claremorris) 81 79, N Steedman (Courtown) 80 80, I Kettyle (Rathmore) 80 80, K Stack (Dungarvan) 80 80, N Crawford (Mourne) 79 81, A Kelly (Muskerry) 79 81, R Bridges (Stackstown) 77 83, C Moulds (Lisburn) 77 83, M McKnight (Lisburn) 72 88

161 S Carter (Stackstown) 86 75, R Burke (Castle) 85 76, R McNeill (Gracehill) 83 78, D Coyle (Co. Louth) 83 78, B Fennelly (The Royal Dublin) 82 79, T O’Leary (Wexford) 80 81, P Gibb (Massereene) 80 81, M Richards (Carton House) 79 82, M Kane (Whitehead) 76 85

162 B Martin (Killymoon) 81 81, K Egan (Carton House) 80 82

163 J Hopkins (Skerries) 77 86

164 S Dwyer (Lucan) 86 78, D O’Donovan (Muskerry) 84 80, S Bryan (Delgany) 83 81, E O’Donovan (Craddockstown) 78 86

166 P McCrudden (Royal Portrush) 84 82, A Stevens (Spa) 80 86

169 M Welsh (Knock) 86 83, D Hallissey (Muskerry) 86 83, B McCormack (Castle Barna) 84 85, D O’Neill (Carton House) 82 87, M Reid (Galgorm Castle) 81 88

173 S Winsby (Whitehead) 82 91

179 C Carvill (Belvoir Park) 94 85

NR S Rea (Carrickfergus) 78 NR

WTD M Hammond (Moyola Park) 86 WTD