Tiarnan McLarnon leads the Irish Youths Amateur Close by four shots at Claremorris. Picture: Pat Cashman/www.cashmanphotography.ieMassereene’s Tiarnan McLarnon scorched to a sensational seven under par 66 to take a commanding four-stroke lead into the last two rounds of the Irish Youths Amateur Close Championship at pristine Claremorris.

Photo gallery - via Golffile.ie

The talented Ulster Interprovincial heads the 39 players to make the five over par cut on an impressive nine under par with Whitehead’s John Ross Galbraith his nearest challenger on five under after fine 69.

While Tullamore’s Stuart Grehan posted a second successive 74 to slip 11 strokes off the pace, McLarnon will be wary of Galbraith as well as Shaun Carter (71) and Gary Collins (70), who are tied for third on four under.

Rosslare’s Gary Collins is going well at Claremorris. Picture: Pat Cashman/www.cashmanphotography.ieOvernight leader Eanna Griffin from Waterford added a 74 to his leave him at three under, one ahead of Ardee’s Adam Doran on three under with last year’s runner-up, Conor Coyne of Youghal trailing the leader by 10 shots after a73.

Spectators keen to watch some quality golf played a a quick pace will be pleased to note that no second round group too took more than three hours and fifty minutes to get around.

Irish Youths Amateur Close Championship, Claremorris Golf Club (Par 73)

Draw for Round 3 & 4 (0830hrs & 1330hrs)

14th: Gavin Young (Birr); Kyle McCarron (North West); Gerard MacNamara (W’brook)

13th: Shane McGagh (Claremorris); Eoghan O’Donovan (Craddtown); Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu)

12th: Ted Collins (Dun Laoghaire); Marc Boucher (Carton House); Ruairi O’Connor (Co. Sligo)

11th: Conor Purcell (Portmarnock); Caolan Kennedy (Forrest Little); Matthew McClean (Balmoral)

10th: Cian Geraghty (Ltown & Btown); Evan Farrell (Ardee); Cathal Butler (Kinsale)

9th: Paul Tobin (Mahon); Colm Crowley (Woodbrook); Brian McCormack (C Barna)

8th: Stuart Winsby (Whitehead); Daniel O’Connor (Athlone); David Carey (Carton House)

4th: Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen); T O’Driscoll (Ring Of Kerry); Stuart Bleakley (Shandon Park)

3rd: Ben Murray (Waterford Castle); Robbie Pierse (Grange); Ronan Mullarney (Galway)

2nd: Stuart Grehan (Tullamore); Conor Coyne (Youghal); Alan Lowry (Esker Hills)

1st: Liam Harnett (Milltown); John Hickey (Cork); David Reddan (Nenagh)

1st: Adam Doran (Ardee); Eanna Griffin (Waterford); Shaun Carter (Stackstown)

1st: Gary Collins (Rosslare); John-Ross Galbraith (Whitehead); Tiarnan McLarnon (M’reene)

Qualifiers

137 T McLarnon (Massereene) 71 66

141 J Galbraith (Whitehead) 72 69

142 G Collins (Rosslare) 72 70, S Carter (Stackstown) 71 71

143 E Griffin (Waterford) 69 74

144 A Doran (Ardee) 72 72

145 D Reddan (Nenagh) 74 71

146 J Hickey (Cork) 73 73

147 L Harnett (Milltown) 75 72, A Lowry (Esker Hills) 75 72, C Coyne (Youghal) 74 73

148 S Grehan (Tullamore) 74 74, R Mullarney (Galway) 72 76, R Pierse (Grange) 70 78

149 B Murray (Waterford Castle) 78 71, S bleakley (Shandon Park) 78 71, T O’Driscoll (Ring Of Kerry) 77 72, K Lynch (Skibbereen) 77 72, D Carey (Carton House) 76 73, D O’Connor (Athlone) 76 73, S Winsby (Whitehead) 76 73, B McCormack (Castle Barna) 73 76

150 C Crowley (Woodbrook) 78 72, P Tobin (Mahon) 76 74, C Butler (Kinsale) 76 74, E Farrell (Ardee) 76 74

151 C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 80 71, M McClean (Balmoral) 79 72, C Kennedy (Forrest Little) 76 75, C Purcell (Portmarnock) 76 75, R O’Connor (Co. Sligo) 75 76, M boucher (Carton House) 74 77, T Collins (Dun Laoghaire) 74 77

152 R McKinstry (Cairndhu) 83 69, E O’Donovan (Craddockstown) 80 72, S McGagh (Claremorris) 78 74, G MacNamara (Woodbrook) 77 75, K McCarron (North West) 75 77, G Young (Birr) 75 77

Non-Qualifiers

152 R McKinstry (Cairndhu) 83 69, E O’Donovan (Craddockstown) 80 72, S McGagh (Claremorris) 78 74, G MacNamara (Woodbrook) 77 75, K McCarron (North West) 75 77, G Young (Birr) 75 77, M Nolan (Delgany) 73 79

153 J Whelan (Newlands) 80 73, D Byrne (Athenry) 79 74, L Grehan (Mullingar) 77 76, J Roche (Bray) 77 76, S Mc Carthy (Killeen Castle) 77 76, C Kelly (Enniscrone) 76 77, D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown) 76 77, R Murray (Castle) 76 77, S Maloney (Dunmurry Springs) 74 79

154 K Murphy (Charlesland) 81 73, S Clancy (Hermitage) 78 76, S O’Donoghue (Portarlington) 78 76, A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 77 77, A Brennan (Athenry) 77 77, J Leacy (Dungarvan) 76 78, J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 75 79

155 G Leacy (Dungarvan) 81 74, C Gorevan (Carton House) 80 75, E Cradock (Gort) 78 77, C Melvin (Corrstown) 77 78, A Doyle (Bray) 76 79, D Reidy (Co. Sligo) 76 79

156 J Fletcher (Warrenpoint) 82 74, D Jackson (Hilton Templepatrick) 78 78, R O’Doherty (Enniscrone) 78 78, A Myles (Newlands) 76 80, R McCullough (Massereene) 76 80, B Murray (Waterford Castle) 75 81

157 B O’Reilly (Athenry) 81 76, P Coughlan (Moate) 81 76, C Woodroofe (Blainroe) 80 77, D Whitty (Faithlegg) 80 77, S Cannon (Loughrea) 79 78

158 C Glynn (Carton House) 84 74, J Conroy (Bray) 82 76, M Burke (Ballinrobe) 82 76, A Moore (Adare Manor) 81 77

159 A D’Arcy (Ballinrobe) 82 77, M Manweiler Quinn (Bray) 79 80, S Long (Tipperary) 79 80, J Doherty (Ballina) 78 81

160 J Lindsay (North West) 85 75, R O’Dwyer (Callan) 82 78, D Flynn (Carton House) 80 80

161 M Ryan (New Ross) 83 78, P Brennan (Belvoir Park) 83 78, C Dootson (Craddockstown) 78 83

162 D Fitzgerald (Limerick) 83 79, M MacGrath (Limerick) 82 80, D Cosgrove (Kilcock) 81 81, S O’Connor (Carton House) 80 82, R Noonan (Galway Bay) 76 86

163 J Doyle (Forrest Little) 88 75, D Morley (Oughterard) 85 78, P McKeever (Castle) 85 78

164 J Neiland (Blainroe) 80 84

165 M Kiernan (Delgany) 87 78, C Hurley (The Heritage) 84 81, R McKeever (Castle) 76 89

166 D Kelly (Hermitage) 89 77

168 H Coyne (Carton House) 86 82, L O’Hara (Athenry) 84 84

173 C McGoldrick (Enniscrone) 91 82

CSS: Round 1 = 74; Round 2 = 72