Kinsale’s John Murphy was thrilled to fire a six-under 66 around the Old Course to go into the final 36 holes just one stroke off the lead in the St Andrews Links Trophy.

Set to begin his Junior year at the University of Louisville in the autumn, he’s looking to add to his wins in last year’s Munster and Leinster Youths championships and become just the third Irish winner of the prestigious 72-hole strokeplay event after Rathmore's Alan Dunbar (2009) and Naas' Conor O’Rourke (2016).

“Special day today shooting 66 on the old course at St.Andrews!” Murphy tweeted. “Looking forward to being in the final group of the St.Andrews links trophy tomorrow, should be fun.”

Rye’s Laird Shepard carded a seven-under 65 to lead by a stroke on eight-under from Murphy, who made five birdies and an eagle two at the sixth with his only blemish coming with a bogey at the fourth.

Just two of the 11-strong Irish contingent made the cut with Naas’ Jonathan Yates, who has shown form recently, posting a 70 to trail Shepard by just five-shots on three-under 140.

Massereene’s Tiarnan McLarnon, who was the leading Irish player after an opening 69, joined Flogas Irish Amateur Open champion Robin Dawson in missing the level par cut by a shot.

Dawson dropped three shots in his last six holes to shoot 73 and finish on 144 as McLarnon, who was undone by a triple bogey seven at the 15th, shot 75.

Hermitage’s Rowan Lester shot 71 but missed out by two on 145 with Alex Gleeson (146), Caolan Rafferty (147), Jake Whelan (148), Ronan Mullarney (150), Barry Anderson and Conor Purcell (152) completing the Irish scoring.

South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht (17), who won the East of Ireland title at County Louth on Monday, is tied for third and lurking just two shots off the lead after a 67.

St Andrews Links Trophy, St Andrews (New/Old Par 71/72)

Final day tee times (Old Course) 

Detailed scores

135 Laird Shepherd (Rye) 70 65 

136 John Murphy (Kinsale) 70 66  

137 Christo Lamprecht (RSA) 70 67, David Hague (Malton & Norton) 70 67  

139 Jamie Li (Cumberwell Park) 71 68  

140 Joey Savoie (Can) 73 67, Jake Burnage (Saunton) 71 69, Jonathan Yates (Naas) 70 70, Jack Cope (The Players Club) 69 71, Matias Honkala (Fin) 68 72 

141 Mitch Waite (Filton) 71 70, Pierre Mazier (Fra) 71 70, Taylor Carter (Hanover (Now Lords Golf & Country Club (Rayleigh) 71 70, Andrew Wilson (Darlington) 69 72, Thomas Plumb (Yeovil) 68 73 , Euan Walker (Kilmarnock, Barassie) 68 73, 

142 Stuart Easton (Irvine) 75 67, Gian-Marco Petrozzi (Trentham) 74 68, Zan Luka Stirn (Slovenia) 73 69, Hamish Brown (Den) 73 69, David Micheluzzi (Aus) 72 70, Jiri Zuska (Cze) 72 70, Matthew Lamb (Hexham) 72 70, Matthew Jordan (Royal Liverpool) 71 71, Robin Williams (Peterborough Milton) 71 71, Haydn Barron (Aus) 71 71, Jannik de Bruyn (Ger) 71 71, Sandy Scott (Nairn) 70 72, Nick Poppleton (Wath) 70 72, Tom Sloman (Taunton & Pickeridge) 69 73, Gisli Sveinbergsson (Ice) 69 73, Luca Filippi (RSA) 68 74, Olly Huggins (Frilford Heath) 67 75  

143 Therion Nel (RSA) 75 68, Daniel O’Loughlin (Ruddington Grange) 75 68, William Heffernan (Aus) 73 70, Lukas Lipold (Aut) 73 70, Matt Saulez (RSA) 72 71, Thomas Forster (Elton Furze) 71 72, Matias Lezcano (Argentina) 71 72, Hugo Bernard (Can) 71 72, Kieran Cantley (Liberton) 70 73, Jake Hapgood (Southerndown) 70 73  

Missed Cut

144 Aman Gupta (USA) 74 70, Clement Charmasson (Fra) 74 70, Malcolm Mitchell (RSA) 74 70, Will Miles (USA) 73 71, Harry Goddard (Hanbury Manor) 73 71, George Bloor (Cavendish) 73 71, Jovan Rebula (RSA) 73 71, Kyle Michel (Aus) 72 72, Marc Hammer (Ger) 72 72, Jarle Volden (Nor) 72 72, David Ravetto (Fra) 71 73, Robin Dawson (Tramore) 71 73, Jamie Stewart (Old Course Ranfurly Ltd) 71 73, Ben Hutchinson (Howley Hall) 71 73, Nick Bachem (Ger) 69 75, Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) 69 75, Rayhan Thomas (Ind) 69 75, Jake Bolton (Ogbourne Downs) 68 76

145 Bjarki Petursson (Ice) 76 69, David Langley (Castle Royle Golf & Country Club) 76 69, Blake Collyer (Aus) 74 71, Oskar Ambrosius (Den) 74 71, Rowan Lester (Hermitage) 74 71, Billy McKenzie (Rowlands Castle) 74 71, Dylan Perry (Aus) 73 72, Daniel Hillier (NZ) 72 73, Michael Hirmer (Ger) 71 74, Lukas Michel (Aus) 70 75

146 Joao Girao (Portugal) 80 66, Tim Harry (Vale of Glamorgan Hotel Golf & Spa Resort) 75 71, Joshua McMahon (Wallasey) 75 71, Lewys Sanges (Celtic Manor Resort) 74 72, Oliver Farrell (Evesham) 74 72, Alexander Fras (Den) 73 73, Todd Clements (Braintree) 73 73, Lucas Abrial (Fra) 73 73, Alex Gleeson (Castle) 72 74, Sam Locke (Stonehaven) 72 74, John Pak (USA) 72 74, Philip Bootsma (Netherlands) 71 75, Jack Gaunt (Drayton Park) 71 75

147 Gaelen Trew (Wentworth) 77 70, Bailey Gill (Lindrick) 76 71, Graysen Huff (USA) 76 71, Victor Veyret (Fra) 75 72, Wilco Nienaber (RSA) 75 72, Charlie Dann (Aus) 75 72, Ayoub Id Omar (Morocco) 74 73, Luca Denk (Aut) 74 73, Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 73 74, Luke Brown (NZ) 73 74, John Axelsen (Den) 72 75, Rory Franssen (Inverness) 70 77

148 Pavan Sagoo (Ealing) 79 69, Josh Armstrong (Aus) 78 70, Jeong Weon Ko (Fra) 77 71, Timo Vahlenkamp (Ger) 77 71, Chris Crisologo (Can) 77 71, Pierre Pineau (Fra) 76 72, Matias Sanchez (Aus) 75 73, Santeri Lehesmaa (Fin) 75 73, Stephen Roger (Peebles) 74 74, Darcy Brereton (Aus) 73 75, Jake Whelan (Newlands) 70 78

149 Vasco Alves (Portugal) 77 72, Mark Hutson (NZ) 76 73, Chris Woollam (RSA) 75 74, Ben Chamberlain (Padeswood & Buckley) 75 74, Issa Abou El Ela (Egypt) 74 75, Lucas Becht (Belgium) 72 77, Aron Juliusson (Ice) 72 77

150 Darren Howie (Peebles) 79 71, Shae Wools-Cobb (Aus) 78 72, Alex Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire) 78 72, Vitor Londot Lopes (Portugal) 77 73, John Paterson (New St Andrews) 77 73, Ronan Mullarney (Galway) 74 76, Jediah Morgan (Aus) 71 79

151 John Gough (Stoke Park Club) 81 70, Calum Fyfe (Cawder) 80 71, Clayton Mansfield (RSA) 79 72, Maxwell Martin (Harborne) 75 76, Benjamin Jones (Northamptonshire County) 74 77, Garrick Higgo (RSA) 74 77, Pierre Junior Verlaar (Netherlands) 69 82

152 Simon Zach (Cze) 79 73, Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 77 75, David Rauch (Ger) 76 76, Martin Contini (Argentina) 76 76, Barry Anderson (Royal Dublin) 75 77, Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) 74 78

153 Alex Hietala (Fin) 77 76, Mats Markovits (Netherlands) 77 76

154 Claudio Consul (Ger) 75 79, Ben Ferguson (Aus) 73 81

155 Jayden Trey Schaper (RSA) 75 80

156 Rhodri Price (New St Andrews) 80 76

157 Andres Schonbaum (Argentina) 82 75

DQ Callum Farr (Northamptonshire County) 74 DQ, Marcos Montenegro (Argentina) DQ,

WD Joseph Long (Lansdown) 77 WD