Hurley chasing Hurly as just three Irish make Lytham Trophy cut
Gary Hurley. Picture Thos Caffrey www.golffile.ie
West Waterford's Gary Hurley leads the Irish challenge into the last two rounds of the 50th Lytham Trophy after a second round 71 left him five strokes behind Germany's Hurly Long on five over par at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
It was a disappointing day for most of the 11-strong Irish contingent with just three surviving the cut for the top 40 and ties which fell at nine over 149
Ballymena's Dermot McElroy is eight shots off the pace on six over after a 74 with Rosslare's Gary Collins the only other survivor after a 73 helped him make it on the limit.
Headfort's Rory McNamara and last year's runner up, Jack Hume, missed out by one stroke with Tiarnan McLarnon and Richard Bridges two off the pace.
Overnight leader Long of Germany, who set a course record 66 in finishing sixth behind Robin Dawson in last year's Irish Boys Championship at Lisburn, shot a second successive 69 to lead by a shot from Sweden's Marcus Kinhult on two under par with Scotland's Jack McDonald and South Africa's Thriston Lawrence and England's Harry Casey just three behind on one-over.