McLarnon and Mulligan two back in Portugal
Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) during a practice round for the 2016 Irish Amateur Close Championship at Ballyliffin Golf Club. 15 August 2016. Picture by Pat Cashman
Laytown and Bettystown's Thomas Mulligan showed that he's still a class act when he opened with a three under 69 in the Portuguese International Amateur Championship near Lisbon.
The Jacques Leglise star, who struggled in the recent Copa de Andalucia in Spain, made five birdies and two bogeys in a three under par opening round at Montado.
He shares fifth place with Massereene's Tiarnan McLarnon, two strokes behind leader Matias Honkala of Finland.
Starting on the 10th, former Irish Close champion McLarnon bogeyed two of his first three holes before hitting back with five birdies in his last ten for his 69.
West of Ireland champion Jonathan Yates from Naas is back in the pack on two over after he mixed two birdies and four bogeys in a 74.
Moate's Paul Coughlan bogeyed three of his last four for a 76 while it was a struggle for Newlands' Jake Whelan as he racked up two doubles and a triple in a 79.
Portuguese International Amateur Championship, Montado (Par 72)
1 Matias Honkala FIN -5 67 67
2 Toby Briggs ENG -4 68 68
2 Adria Arnaus ESP -4 68 68
4 Giacomo Fortini ITA -4 68 68
5 Marcus Hansen NED -3 69 69
6 Thomas Mulligan IRL -3 69 69
7 Arthur Ameil-Planchin SUI -3 69 69
8 Ricardo Bregoli ITA -3 69 69
9 Andrea Romano ITA -3 69 69
10 Joshua McMahon ENG -3 69 69
11 Tiarnan McLarnon IRL -3 69 69
57 Jonathan Yates IRL +2 74 74
84 Paul Coughlan IRL +4 76 76
112 Jake Whelan IRL +7 79 79
Nations Cup
1 Finland 139 (Honkala - 5, S Välimäki E, K Koivu + 7)
10 Ireland 143 (McLarnon -3, Yates +2, Coughlan +4)
