Six hours and 35 minutes after their original 12:51 second round tee-time (pushed back 90 minutes due to a frost delay), David Barry, Michael Sinclair and Kevin Stack putt out on the 18th at Rosses Point at 19:26 on Saturday night. Headfort’s Rory McNamara captured the silver medal award to the leading qualifier but four players must to return to Rosses Point to complete the weather-delayed second qualifying round of the West of Ireland Amateur championship at 7.30am on Sunday.

Play was suspended because of lack of light following early morning frost that delayed the start by 90 minutes and with groups taking in excess of five hours to get round, the last two groups were on the 17th and 18th tees when play was called for the day.

Damien McCusker and Colm O’Sullivan opted to withdraw rather that return which means that while the players on 158 will qualify the today’s first matchplay round, the performances of Co Castlebar’s Declan Loftus (18th tee), and Royal Dublin’s Gary McGrane (17th tee) could decide the fate of the players in the clubhouse on 17 over 159.

Moate’s Paul Coughlan (17th) and County Sligo’s Steffan O’Hara (18th) look certain to qualify with ease while McGrane can afford to play his last two holes in one over to qualify on 158. Two bogeys would put him out on 159.

Loftus must birdie the 18th to qualify but that may not be enough if McGrane finishes bogey-par. Steffan O’Hara needs a par at the last for 156 while a four at the last would leave Loftus out of reckoning on 160.

Rory McNamara with the 2012 North of Ireland trophyNorth of Ireland champion McNamara added a 70 to his opening 74 to finish a stroke ahead of Delgany’s Simon Bryan (71) on two over par 144

After the carnage of Friday, when just 42 players in the 123-strong field broke 80, there was a radical improvement in scoring as five tees were moved forward and the wind eased considerably.

Irish Amateur Open champion Gavin Moynihan of The Island shot 71 for 146 while Dermot McElroy and McNamara’s Headfort clubmate Brian Casey fired best-of-the-day, three under 68s to share fourth with Co Sligo’s Gary McDermott (74) on six over 148.

Barring another frost delay, the first matchplay round was scheduled to begin at 7.45 am.

West of Ireland Amateur Open, Co Sligo (sponsored by Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa)

(Clubhouse scores with two groups to finish today from 730am)

144 R McNamara (Headfort) 74 70

145 S Bryan (Delgany) 74 71

146 G Moynihan (The Island) 75 71

148 D McElroy (Ballymena) 80 68, B Casey (Headfort) 80 68, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 74 74

149 A Gleeson (Castle) 76 73

150 R Leonard (Banbridge) 80 70, G Collins (Rosslare) 75 75

151 A Purdy (Ballyclare) 74 77

152 A Hogan (Newlands) 80 72, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 78 74, H Featherstone (Ringway(UK)) 76 76, N Grant (Knock) 76 76, N Gorey (Muskerry) 76 76, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 74 78

153 R Busher (Salisbury & South Wilts(UK)) 80 73, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 78 75, R Dawson (Faithlegg) 78 75

154 G Hurley (West Waterford) 79 75, J Greene (Carlow) 79 75, R O’Donovan (Lucan) 79 75, K McCarthy (Kinsale) 78 76, R Lester (Hermitage) 78 76, J McCormick (Styal(UK)) 78 76, S Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 77 77, R Bridges (Stackstown) 77 77, G McKenna (Fortwilliam) 77 77, W Hanna (Kilkeel) 75 79

155 R Mullarney (Galway) 82 73, S Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 80 75, K Le Blanc (The Island) 80 75, B McSweeney (The Royal Dublin) 80 75, R Whitson (Mourne) 79 76, S Healy (Claremorris) 77 78, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 77 78

156 S Dwyer (Lucan) 83 73, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 82 74, M Wylie (Quinta da Ria (Por)) 81 75, M Shanahan (Castlemartyr) 80 76, K Lynch (Skibbereen) 80 76, B Best (Rathmore) 80 76, S McGlynn (Carton House) 80 76, T McLarnon (Massereene) 79 77, K Stack (Dungarvan) 77 79, S Moran (Carton House) 77 79, E Smith (Ardee) 76 80

157 B Daly (Edmondstown) 82 75, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 82 75, M Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 81 76

158 S Carter (Stackstown) 84 74, T Cleary (Dromoland) 84 74, P Flynn (Tramore) 83 75, C Fairweather (Knock) 83 75, C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 82 76, P Murray (Limerick) 80 78, S Watts (Cairndhu) 80 78, J Yates (Naas) 79 79, S Hogan (Nenagh) 79 79, P McBride (The Island) 78 80, A Kearney (Castlerock) 78 80

159 G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 81 78, A Wynne (Strandhill) 79 80

160 G Bohill (Co. Louth) 86 74

(Above are the Current Top 64 with two threeballs to complete)

N Foley (The Island) 86 74, S Sloman (Taunton & Pickeridge(UK)) 85 75, B Anderson (Co. Sligo) 83 77

161 R Gribben (Warrenpoint) 85 76, M O’Rourke (Royal Tara) 84 77, A Morris (Belvoir Park) 82 79, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 82 79, S Miskelly (Knock) 81 80, S Ward (Co. Louth) 81 80, C Sharvin (Ardglass) 80 81, M Killen (Hessle GC (UK)) 79 82

162 I Lynch (Rosslare) 87 75, D Callister (Mount Murray (IoM)) 85 77, S McCarthy (Killeen Castle) 84 78, M Collins (Mahon) 84 78, L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin) 84 78, A Thomas (Dungarvan) 84 78, S Barry (Muskerry) 83 79, M Buggy (Castlecomer) 82 80, I Brennan (Greenore) 82 80, M Sinclair (Knock) 79 83

163 G O’Flaherty (Cork) 82 81, C O’Rourke (Naas) 81 82, D O’Neill (Carton House) 79 84

164 T Sloman (Taunton & Pickeridge(UK)) 86 78, I Kettyle (Rathmore) 82 82, R Kenny (Naas) 82 82

165 S Coulter (Warrenpoint) 86 79, E Cradock (Gort) 85 80, M King (Cregmore Park) 85 80, R Connolly (Rathsallagh) 84 81, S Brady (Co. Sligo) 83 82, S O’Connor (Luttrellstown Castle) 82 83

166 Q Carew (Edenderry) 86 80, S Cannon (Loughrea) 81 85, J Leacy (Dungarvan) 78 88

167 J Galbraith (Whitehead) 82 85

169 D Barry (Mahon) 92 77

170 H Coyne (Carton House) 91 79, T O’Connor (Athlone) 87 83

171 J McLaughlin (Portumna) 88 83, D Lally (Mullingar) 85 86

172 A Harty (Dungarvan) 90 82, S Underwood (Co Sligo) 89 83

177 J O’Neill (Lee Valley) 91 86

178 C Dullaghan (Greenore) 92 86, C McGoldrick (Enniscrone) 90 88

NR L McMillan (Carton House) 83 NR

RTD G Lawlor (Newbridge) 83 RTD

DQ E McCormack (Co. Cavan) 78 DQ

WTD C O’Sullivan (Fota Island) 79 WTD, D McCusker (Moyola Park) 86 WTD