Ninety-three kilogram open-side flankers find it hard to sneak up quietly but the GUI appears to have been taken by surprise by Castle's Barry Fitzpatrick.

The 18-year old three handicapper, who shone briefly in last year's Leinster Boys in Kilkenny only to fade over the final 36 holes, leads a quality international field by two strokes in the Irish Boys Amateur Open at Tuam.

A member of the Leinster Under 18 rugby panel and a star for St Michael's College in this year's Leinster Schools Senior Cup, Fitzpatrick's raw power was clearly an advantage in Galway as he added a two under 70 to his opening 71 to lead on three under par.

Rory Williamson from Holywood, who followed a 77 with course record 66, is Fitzpatrick's nearest rival on one under par.  

Williamson is on the Irish Boys panel but one wonders how a talent like Fitzpatrick can slip through the net, unless he's simply determined to make a career with the oval rather than the dimpled ball.

Cairndhu's Marc McKinstry (74-70), another Boys panel member, is third on level par 144 with England's Gian-Marco Petrozzi  (73-71), French raider Antoin Auboin (73-71) and Westport's Harry Gillivan, who added a 73 to his 71

Mornington's Thomas Mulligan, the former Laytown and Bettystown man now playing out of Baltray,  made an eagle and three birdies as he scorched to the turn in 31.

But he came home in 40 to trail Fitzpatrick by six on 147 as Irish Under 16 panel member Cameron Raymond added a 75 to his 70 to share seventh on 145 with Marc Boucher (71), Sean Desmond (71) and England's Max Martin (75).

Two-time former British Amateur winner Peter McEvoy, a GB&I and England selector, is in Galway keeping his eye out for talent. No doubt Fitzpatrick will catch his eye at some stage on Thursday.

Irish Boys Amateur Open, Tuam (Par 72)

Detailed scores - All players play the first 54 holes with the top-50 and ties qualifying for the final round on Friday.

141 Barry Fitzpatrick (Castle) 71 70  

143 Rory Williamson (Holywood) 77 66  

144 Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu) 74 70, Gian-Marco Petrozzi (England) 73 71, Antoin Auboin (France) 73 71, Harry Gillivan (Westport) 71 73  

145 Marc Boucher (Carton House) 74 71, Sean Desmond (Monkstown) 74 71, Max Martin (England) 70 75, Cameron Raymond (Newlands) 70 75  

146 Oliver Clarke (England) 75 71, Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) 74 72  

147 Thomas Mulligan (Co. Louth) 76 71, Adrien Pendaries (France) 75 72, Charlie Denvir (Milltown) 73 74  

148 Daniel O'Loughlin (England) 74 74, Mark Healy (Kinsale) 74 74, Michael Ryan (New Ross) 73 75, Thomas Murray (England) 71 77, Laird Shepherd (England) 70 78  

149 Shane McDermott (Co. Cavan) 73 76  

150 Cathal Butler (Kinsale) 75 75, Eric Rumley (Kinsale) 75 75, Mark Power (Kilkenny) 74 76, Toby Lane (England) 71 79  

151 Andrew Hickey (Ballyhaunis) 81 70, Henry Clark (Shandon Park) 77 74, John Gough (England) 75 76, Alan Fahy (Bray) 73 78, Eoin Leonard (Wentworth) 73 78  

152 Marc Norton (Belvoir Park) 80 72, Joseph O'Neill (Tralee) 78 74, Gareth Hogan (The Island) 77 75, Owen Crooks (Bushfoot) 76 76, Matthew Grehan (Tullamore) 73 79  

153 Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush) 80 73, Reece Black (Hilton Templepatrick) 79 74, Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 79 74, John Murphy (Kinsale) 78 75, Allan Hill (Roscommon) 78 75, Rhys Nevin-Wharton (England) 77 76, Hugh O'Hare (Fortwilliam) 77 76, Aymeric Laussot (France) 76 77, John Brady (Rosslare) 76 77  

154 Declan Kelly (Hermitage) 78 76, Harry Duggan (Kilkenny) 77 77, Thomas Boulanger (France) 76 78, Patrick Brennan (Belvoir Park) 74 80  

155 Michael O'Farrell (Galway) 81 74, John Molyneaux Jnr (Ballybunion) 80 75, Cian Feeney (Co. Sligo) 79 76, Mark Doogue (Baltinglass) 79 76, Ross Kelly (Tuam) 79 76, Louis O'Hara (Athenry) 78 77, Ian Halpin (Cahir Park) 76 79, Anton Brennan (Athenry) 76 79, John Paul Ralph (England) 75 80  

156 Devin Morley (Oughterard) 83 73, Dean Cafferty (Carton House) 82 74, David Clince (Craddockstown) 81 75, Rory Hill (Tralee) 80 76, Jordan Logue (Hilton Templepatrick) 79 77, Paul Kelly (Glasson) 78 78, Simon Stefenel (France) 75 81, Ciaran Smyth (Greenore) 74 82  

157 Stephen Kelliher (Killarney) 83 74, Sean Dowling (Beaverstown) 81 76, Eamonn O'Driscoll (Killarney) 80 77, Ryan Corry (Clandeboye) 80 77, Samuel Ledbury (Belgium) 79 78, Yvan Ducler (France) 79 78, Ross Nelson () 79 78, Cillian Moloney (Fota Island) 78 79, Darren Hourihan (Douglas) 78 79, Conor Mooney (Black Bush) 75 82  

158 Jake Vickers (Balbriggan) 84 74, AJ McCabe (Malahide) 84 74, Jamie Knipe (Royal Portrush) 81 77, Cillian Lawless (Athenry) 80 78, Eoin Conway (West Waterford) 79 79, Michael McGurk (Warrenpoint) 78 80, Conor Keown (Greystones) 77 81  

159 Jack Brophy (The Royal Dublin) 83 76, Jack McGarry (Rosslare) 82 77, Oisin Devereux (Carton House) 81 78, Gary Ward (Kinsale) 81 78, Adam McCormick (Scrabo) 79 80, Ben Graham (Scrabo) 79 80, Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) 78 81, Chris Black (Dunmurry) 77 82, John Corbett Jnr (Thurles) 77 82, Eric Doran (Palmerstown Stud) 77 82, Jack Doherty (Carton House) 75 84, John Bolger (Courtown) 73 86  

160 Micheal Shiel (Athenry) 84 76, Giles Evans (England) 83 77, Christian Kennedy (Lisburn) 82 78, Gareth Carr (Mullingar) 82 78, Benedict Cronin (Muskerry) 81 79, Luke Cummins (West Waterford) 81 79, David McAleenon (Edenmore) 80 80, Conor Rice (Athlone) 80 80, Michael Joseph Kennelly (Athenry) 79 81  

161 Robert Moran (Castle) 86 75, James O'Connor (Muskerry) 85 76, Darragh Monaghan (England) 81 80, Mikey Burke (Galway) 81 80, Oisin Fleming (Bray) 81 80, Ross Mohan (Balcarrick) 80 81, Brendan Rossiter (Rosslare) 80 81, Kevin Power (Kilkenny) 80 81, Jack Johnston (Clandeboye) 79 82, Julian Audibert (France) 79 82, Darragh Smith (Castle) 77 84, Cian Henry (Ballyhaunis) 76 85  

162 Edward Walsh (Mallow) 89 73, Luke Donnelly (Kilkenny) 85 77, Jack Madden (Dungannon) 83 79, Rory Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) 82 80, Daragh Coleman (Skerries) 79 83, Jack Hearn (Tramore) 79 83, Paddy Culhane (Galway) 79 83, William Small (Tandragee) 79 83, Charlie Dawson (Faithlegg) 78 84  

163 Louis Bellan (France) 87 76, Marc McCormack (Ashbourne) 84 79, David Hill (Roscommon) 83 80, David Brady (Co. Sligo) 82 81, Tommy Doran (Balbriggan) 81 82, Nathan McCann (Lurgan) 80 83  

164 Cian Commins (Ardee) 83 81, Tom Groves (The Royal Dublin) 81 83, Oisin Fitzgerald (Tralee) 80 84, Gabriel Gribben (Fortwilliam) 79 85, Seamus Og O Neill (Co. Cavan) 78 86  

165 Conor Roche (Mallow) 82 83, Bill Hannan (Carton House) 82 83, Conor Ruane (Galway Bay Golf Club) 81 84  

166 TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) 87 79, Sean Burke (Galway) 85 81, Shasa Decker (Belgium) 84 82, Paul Twohig (Fota Island) 81 85  

167 Giles Gill (England) 86 81, Niall Hearns (Mountrath) 85 82, Shane Livesey (Monkstown) 83 84, Con O'Callaghan (Kanturk) 81 86  

168 Daniel O'Sullivan (Douglas) 84 84  

169 Darragh Herlihy (West Waterford) 82 87  

171 Ciaran Henry (Strandhill) 87 84  

172 Daniel Curry (Coollattin Golf Club) 90 82  

173 Jack Patton (Letterkenny Golf Club) 92 81  

176 Robert Browne (Castle) 89 87  

NR/WD/DQ  Jason Murphy (Warrenpoint) 73 NR, Thomas Martin (Waterford Castle) NR DQ, Sean Enright (Doneraile) DQ, Rory Dineen (Cork) 87 WD, Sean Doyle (Athlone) WD  
82 Sean Doyle (Athlone) 82