Pat Murray in aciton at Baltray last year. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.iePat Murray struck a blow for the old-fashioned amateur when was the only member of the Irish sextet to make the cut in the Portuguese International Amateur Championship.

The Limerick Golf Club secretary-manager made the top 40 and ties with five shots to spare when he carded three birdies and a bogey in a two under 70 in the third round at Montado near Lisbon.

The reigning South of Ireland champion shares 15th place on one-under par entering the final round, nine strokes adrift of Portugal’s Gonçalo Pinto (70-69-67).

Pinto leads by four shots on 10 under par from Denmark’s Victor Henum, England’s Jerome Titlow and France’s Hubert Tisserand.

Galway’s Eddie McCormack, another part-time amateur, missed the four over par cut by a stroke despite coming home in 33 for a 71.

But it was a disappointing week for the rest of the Irish contingent with Irish Amateur Open champion, still a schoolboy, carding rounds of 75-75-74 to miss the cut by four shots.

Matthew Wylie and Matthew McAlpin finished on nine and 10 over respectively while Castle’s Alex Gleeson closed with his best round of the week, a 74, to finish on 17 over.

Portuguese International Amateur Open (click for website)

Irish scores

15 Pat Murray -1 (215) 72 73 70

Missed the cut (+4)

44 Eddie McCormack +5 (221) 80 70 71
66 Gavin Moynihan +8 (224) 75 75 74
74 Matthew Wylie +9 (225) 74 77 74
79 Matthew McAlpin +10 (226) 77 76 73
104 Alex Gleeson +17 (233) 79 80 74

Third round scoreboard