Rice and Small lead Irish PGA Assistants' Championship
Nuremore Hotel & Country Golf Club
Limerick's Tim Rice and Northern Ireland professional Patrick Small are locked together at the top of the leaderboard after the opening 36-holes of the Nuremore Irish PGA Assistants' Championship.
Small carded a course record seven under par 64 in the opening round to take charge of proceedings but he slipped to a two over par 73 in round two.
That opened the door for Rice who matched Small's record round over the second 18 holes of the day. The experienced Limerickman, rattled off seven birdies in a bogey free round at the Nuremore Hotel and Country Club.
The duo finished day one on five under par, three shots ahead of Ciaran Molloy (Blackwood GC).
Pre event favourite, Neil O'Briain (Old Conna GC), is tied for fourth alongside Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge GC), just four shots back.
O'Briain won the Dunfanaghy Pro-Am on Sunday and followed up with a victory in the pre-event Pro-Am at the County Monaghan venue.
The cut fell at +12 with 35 players making it through to Wednesday's final 36 holes.
The third round is scheduled to get underway at 8am with round four due to start at 1pm.
Nuremore Irish PGA Assistant's Championship, Nuremore Hotel & Country Club (Par 71)
- T1 P Small 64/73 137
- T1 T Rice (Limerick GC) 73/64 137
- 3 C Molloy (Blackwood Golf C) 72/68 140
- T4 N O'Briain (Old Conna GC) 70/71 141
- T4 R Kilpatrick (Banbridge GC) 72/69 141
- 6 M McCarthy (LD Golf Limited) 71/72 143
- 7 J Dillon (Headfort GC) 75/69 144
- 8 M Alexander (Royal Portrush GC) 76/69 145
- T9 H Coyne (Carton House) 73/73 146
- T9 C Starrett (GUI National Ac'y) 71/75 146
