Defending champion Mark Power is tied for third heading into Thursday's last two rounds of the Peter McEvoy Trophy at Copt Heath.

The plus-three handicapper from Kilkenny opened with a one over 72 but then finished eagle-par-birdie-birdie for an afternoon 70 to trail halfway leader Nikolai Schaffrath of Germany by five strokes on level par.

Schafrath carded rounds of 67 and 70 to lead by three shots from England's Angus Flanagan on five-under-par 137.

Rosslare's John Brady is tied 22nd on four-over after a pair of 73s with Hilton Templepatrick's Reece Black a shot further back after rounds of 75 and 72.

Castle's Robert Moran (77-71, 148) made the 149 cut with ease on six-over but Newlands' Cameron Raymond (75-78, 153) and Carton House's Jack Doherty (81-75, 156) missed out.

The McEvoy has become the traditional curtain raiser to the boy's golf season and is viewed as one of the “must enter” junior major competitions.  

In 2013 Justin Rose became the first McEvoy Trophy winner to go on and secure a Major Championship - the US Open at Merion. 

Peter McEvoy Trophy 2017, Copt Heath (Par 71)

Detailed scores

137 Nikolai Schaffrath (Germany) 67 70 

140 Angus Flanagan (St George's Hill Golf Club) 68 72 

142 Mark Power (Kilkenny Golf Club) 72 70, Nathan Slater (Bewdley Pines Golf Club) 70 72, Charlie Strickland (Ham Manor Golf Club) 70 72, Nick Bachem (Germany) 69 73 

143 Harvey Byers (Walton Heath Golf Club) 75 68, David Rauch (Germany) 73 70, Danny Daniels (Essendon Country Club) 72 71, Arron Edwards-Hill (Chelmsford Golf Club) 72 71, Jack Cope (Minchinhampton Golf Club) 71 72, Benjamin Jones (Northamptonshire County Golf Club) 70 73, Timo Thans (Netherlands) 70 73, Jannik De Bruyn (Germany) 69 74 

144 Robin Williams (USA) 74 70, Will Dodds (Styal Golf Club) 71 73, Conor Gough (Stoke Park Club) 70 74 

145 Tom Cleaton (Rugby Golf Club) 74 71, Florian Horder (Germany) 73 72, James Swash (Middlesbrough Golf Club) 72 73, George Clarke (Druids Heath Golf Club) 70 75 

146 Luke Kelly (Ashton-under-Lyne Golf Club) 76 70, Harrison Ottley-Woodd (Cotswold Hills Golf Club) 75 71, Barclay Brown (Hallamshire Golf Club) 74 72, Tom Stagg (Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club) 74 72, John Brady (Rosslare Golf Club) 73 73, Matthew Bell (Lilley Brook Golf Club) 71 75 

147 Charlie Hilton (Ifield Golf & Country Club) 77 70, Toby Briggs (Dunston Hall Golf Club) 76 71, Cedric Otten (Germany) 75 72, Reece Black (Hilton Templepatrick Golf Club) 75 72, Charlie Wilkinson (Cheshunt Park Golf Club) 74 73, Aadam Syed (Foxhills Golf Club) 73 74, Leon Acikalin (Turkey) 70 77 

148 Robert Moran (Castle) 77 71, David Li (Germany) 75 73, Harry Goddard (Hanbury Manor Golf Club) 74 74, Nicholas Elmey (Frilford Heath Golf Club) 74 74, George Saunders (Meon Valley Golf & Country Club) 73 75 

149 Tom Duncalf (Sandiway Golf Club) 80 69, Kristian Tannum Donaldson (Buckinghamshire Golf Club) 77 72, George Raitt (Whetstone Golf Club) 77 72, Henry Lai (Netherlands) 76 73, Daniel Bradbury (Wakefield Golf Club) 76 73, Lukas Demant (Germany) 75 74, Charlie Daughtrey (Rotherham Golf Club) 74 75 

CUT

150 James Cooper (Cumberwell Park Golf Club) 77 73, Luke Harries (Tenby Golf Club) 75 75, Cameron Wallace (Castle Eden Golf Club) 75 75, Harry Plowman - Ollington (Addington Palace Golf Club) 74 76, Michael Gilbert (Chelmsford Golf Club) 73 77, Tim Mayer (Germany) 69 81 

151 William Hopkins (Belton Park Golf Club) 76 75, Joshua Curtis (Ringway Golf Club) 73 78 

152 Thomas Plumb (Sherborne Golf Club) 76 76 

153 Taylor Stote (Burnham & Berrow Golf Club) 79 74, David Distelkämper (Germany) 78 75, Ryan Craig (Dunstable Downs Golf Club) 77 76, Jack Ainscough (Hartlepool Golf Club) 77 76, Hugo Kedzlie (Spalding Golf Club) 76 77, Cameron Raymond (Newlands Golf Club) 75 78

155 Jake Benson (Beeston Fields Golf Club) 76 79, Matthew Baxter (Centurion Golf Club) 76 79 

156 Jack Doherty (Carton House Golf Club) 81 75, Tom Froom (Nefyn & District Golf Club) 80 76 

158 Anton Albers (Hamburger Golf-Club e.V.) 80 78, Alfie Fox (Roehampton Golf Club) 77 81 

159 Thomas Roberts (Rhuddlan Golf Club) 75 84 

162 Nicholas Sowerby (Appleby Golf Club) 82 80 

169 Tom Charley (The Warwickshire Golf & Country Club) 77 92