O'Rourke takes clubhouse lead at Rosses Point
Hard work appears to be paying off for Naas' Conor O'Rourke after he added a 71 to his opening 78 to set the clubhouse target at seven over par 149 in qualifying for the Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at County Sligo.
The 24-year old, who was added to the Irish squad this year and picked for next month's Lytham Trophy trip, is determined to see how far he can go in the game.
Playing full time golf for the past two years and one of Gavin Lunny's stable of talented Naas players alongside the likes of Jack Hume and Jonathan Yates, his ambition is to see how his game stacks up against he best with a view to trying his hand at the Q-School and the professional game.
Apart from a double bogey six at the eighth, his 17th hole, he was certainly pleased with his level par 71 in far more benign conditions than he suffered on Friday afternoon.
Check out a classic @garymac1973 move on 13 @countysligogc Sadly the hole did not go well. pic.twitter.com/qUpRzlbq0t
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) March 26, 2016
The one and only Eddie McCormack plays a low bullet 4-iron to the 14th @countysligogc Dancefloor. pic.twitter.com/BstyZKWi7w
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) March 26, 2016
Not his best but good enough on the new 8th tee @Tmclarnon15 @CountySligoGC pic.twitter.com/RSGm9XDTT8
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) March 26, 2016
Nice 5 iron to 7 by @NeilMcKinstry who was still 50 ft short @CountySligoGC Note new bunker ahead. pic.twitter.com/Tr0UuL1hEs
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) March 26, 2016
Here's @SteffanOHara on 1 today. A fresh breeze but it's cold and rain is threatening. Fairway. @CountySligoGC pic.twitter.com/yQ8bKqdJ3c
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) March 26, 2016
While play was suspended for the afternoon wave due to 48mph gusts, a steady 18 mph southeast breeze, gusting to 30mph, was challenging but perfectly playable for the morning starters despite the cool, 8C temperatures.
"I wasn’t really out of position once all day but I found a fairway bunker on the eighth," O'Rourke said of his double bogey in a round that also featured birdies at the 12th, second, third and fifth and bogeys at the 17th and first.
Just back from a week's practice in France, he's hoping to make a run at his first title having had a taste of the top level when taking Joe Lyons to the last in the last 16 two years ago.
"I am 24 now and finished in Maynooth two years ago," he said. "I want to pay full time for the next year and see where I can go with it and possibly go to Q-School.
"Joe got me on 18 a few years ago so we'll see if I can make a run this week."
O'Rourke leads by one from Stuart Grehan, who recovered from his 80 with a 70, holder Dermot McElroy (71), Royal Dublin's Sean Ryan and 22-year old clubmate Jonathan Yates.
ROUND TWO - FIRST WAVE
149 Conor O'Rourke (Naas Golf Club) 78 71
150 Stuart Grehan (Tullamore Golf Club) 80 70, Dermot McElroy (Ballymena Golf Club) 79 71, Sean Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 77 73, Jonathan Yates (Naas Golf Club) 75 75
151 Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene Golf Club) 80 71, Des Morgan (New Forest) 78 73
154 Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) 83 71, Declan Reidy (Co. Sligo Golf Club) 82 72, Mark Shanahan (Castlemartyr) 81 73, Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay Golf Club) 78 76
155 Eugene Smith (Ardee) 85 70, Ronan Mullarney (Galway Golf Club) 82 73, Andrew Morris (Belvoir Park Golf Club) 82 73, Brian Kelly () 81 74, Jack Pierse (Portmarnock) 80 75, Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk Golf Club) 79 76, Ian O'Rourke (The Royal Dublin) 79 76, William Russell (Clandeboye) 78 77
156 Fergal Kennedy (Island) 84 72
157 Paul McCarthy (Mallow Golf Club) 84 73, Barry Anderson (The Royal Dublin) 81 76
158 Ben Murray (Waterford Castle Golf Club) 83 75, Michael Sinclair (Knock) 83 75
159 Karl McCormack (Portarlington Golf Club) 84 75
160 Rory Williamson (Holywood Golf Club) 84 76, Steffan O'Hara (Co. Sligo Golf Club) 84 76, Andrew McCormack (Newcastle West Golf Club) 83 77, Kevin Stack (Dungarvan Golf Club) 82 78, Matt Wylie () 82 78
161 Gary McDermott (Carton House Golf Club) 84 77, Gavin McKenna (Fortwilliam Golf Club) 83 78, David Reddan (Nenagh Golf Club) 83 78, Pat Murray (Limerick Golf Club) 83 78, Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu Golf Club) 83 78
162 Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little.) 89 73, Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolseley Golf Club) 86 76, Devin Morley (Oughterard Golf Club) 85 77, Claudio Consul () 85 77, Edward Stack (Ballybunion Golf Club) 84 78, Neil McKinstry (Cairndhu Golf Club) 81 81
163 Michael Dallat (Ballycastle Golf Club) 87 76, Dave Lowry (Corballis Links Golf Club) 84 79, Jamie Sutherland (Galgorm Castle Golf Club) 84 79
164 Mark Power (Kilkenny Golf Club) 89 75, Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle Golf Club) 88 76, Daniel Murphy (Portarlington Golf Club) 86 78, Alec Myles (Newlands) 83 81
165 Darragh Flynn (Carton House Golf Club) 90 75, Colin Woodroofe (Blainroe Golf Club) 88 77
166 Jake Whelan (Newlands) 88 78, Thomas O'Connor (Athlone Golf Club) 84 82, Shane O'Connor (Castlebar Golf Club) 82 84
167 Robert Neville (The Links Portmarnock) 87 80, Jason O'Leary (Dromoland Golf Club) 86 81
168 Conor McCaughey (Dungannon Golf Club) 91 77, Shane McGlynn (Portmarnock) 87 81
169 Thomas Mulligan (Co. Louth Golf Club) 91 78, Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion Golf Club) 86 83
170 Declan O'Neill (Carton House Golf Club) 92 78
171 John McCarthy (Stackstown Golf Club) 87 84
172 Gavin Young (Nenagh Golf Club) 91 81
173 Brian Doran (Palmerstown Stud) 94 79
178 Michael Reddan (Limerick Golf Club) 92 86, Patrick Neville (Bearna Golf Club) 90 88
182 Ross Steedman (Courtown Golf Club) 96 86
